[Fic]: More Harry's New Pets, the Flaming Nargles Version (4400 words)
So, here's a bit more of this, following on from this. For some reason I thought I'd posted some of this chunk before, but I can't find it, so.
Any road, I felt like posting something, and this was at a point where I felt I could.
***
"Minie," Fleur said, "viens!"
The little elf popped into the room. "Ouais, Mademoiselle Fleur? Does Meess Fleur's kind mastaire want 'is clothes, and ze collars an' leashes for Meess Fleur an' 'is ozzer pets?"
Fleur blushed. "Ah... we want clothes as well, Minie."
"But... Meess Fleur is a pet, an' so are les autres filles. Pets don't wear ze clothes!"
"My sentiments exactly, kind Miss Minie," Luna said. "But our Master is shy, and doesn't understand all the rules yet."
"Does ze young Mastaire not value Meess Fleur an' ze ozzer pretty girls? Zis ees not right," Minie said. Her eyes went wide. "Ah, Minie la mauvaise! Je suis desolé, Monsieur le Maitre 'Arry! Je vais me brulé les doigts..."
"Good heavens!" Hermione said, but didn't know what else to say. "You mustn't burn yourself..."
"Non, Minie, il faut que tu ne..." Fleur began to say, but trailed off as Harry spoke.
"No, Miss Minie," Harry said. "I value them, very, very much. More than that, I love them, and I'm trying to... to get used to how my Luna wants to dress, even though it's very hard for me, because I never thought such a thing would happen to me. But my wonderful Hermione and my sweet Ginny and my darling Fleur would be embarrassed if they had to walk about in nothing but collars. And Madame Delacour asked that they all remain dressed outside of our rooms, and Fleur wants to show us the rest of Chateau Delacour. So... wouldn't you please be so kind as to bring us all some clothes? And the collars for my beloved pets?"
"Ouais, Monsieur le bon Maitre 'Arry. Would Master 'Arry and his pets like the same clothes zey were wearing, or...?"
"Fleur," Harry said, "whatever you think is best."
Fleur and Minie had another conversation in fast, highly dialectical French. At last, the little elf bowed and popped away. "I asked her to bring our 'Arry some of my father's boyhood clothes," Fleur said, "ze most casual ones, most like modern clothes. And I t'ought sweet 'Ermione should have some of my clothes, ones zat would fit her and look much nicer and feel much better zan a teeshirt and a swimming costume. Zey are older ones, from before I began to... grow in certain places, but not so old. Is zat all right?"
"It's wonderful, Fleur," Harry said. "Thank you." She beamed and hugged him round the shoulders.
"If you don't mind, Fleur," Hermione said, "that would be wonderful."
"'Ermione," Fleur said, "my darling pet-sister, of course I don't mind. You and I... all of us girls... we share our lives, now. We sleep in the same bed and bathe in the same tub, we have ze same master. Wit' zat, it seems only reasonable, and not an inconvenience at all, to share my closet wit' you. Not only do I not mind, I am delighted. Luna, Ginny... would you prefer your own clothes, or would you like to wear some of mine?"
"Even though I wish my Master would undress me instead," Luna said, "I would be very pleased if my darling big pet sister were to dress me." Fleur leant over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
"You don't have to," Ginny said. "I'll be fine with my old clothes. I wouldn't want to be any trouble..."
Fleur sighed and hugged her about the shoulders. "Ma chère petite Ginevra," she said, "you could not possibly be any trouble. If you wish to wear the clothes you wore this morning when we met, I will not stop you. But I would be delighted to share my closet wit' you."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Of course I am sure, chérie."
"Thank you!" Ginny positively glowed. Will I ever be able to make any of them that happy?
Suddenly, as if she could read Hermione's thoughts, Fleur leant over and kissed her on the cheek. "Je t'aime, chérie. Never doubt yourself, or your value, to all of us. I would wish at this very moment to pull you into my lap and hug you, very tightly, but as neither of us is at all dressed right now, I t'ink zat you would be embarrassed."
"A little bit, yes," Hermione whispered.
"Well, we will work on zat, yes?"
"Okay."
Fleur kissed her cheek again. "Well, for now, then, let us get out of the tub and put on our clothes. I think there are several hugs that must be given."
"Goodness," Luna said, "I don't think I've ever actually looked forward to putting on clothes before."
"Are you all right, Luna?" Ginny said, putting her hand on her friend's forehead. "Hmm, I don't think you feel feverish..."
"Of course I'm all right, silly Ginevra. I'm still looking forward even more to the day our Master and our Hermione get over being shy, so we can have hugs without worrying about whether anyone's got clothes on or not."
"Be patient, darling," Fleur said. "Good things come to those who wait, not so?"
"I suppose, but wouldn't it be nice for good things to hurry up and come sooner?"
Fleur sighed, theatrically. "Oh, Luna," she said, and hugged the little blonde.
"Oh, Fleur," Luna said, hugging her back. "I'm glad someone's not shy, at least."
"Well, not as shy, perhaps. But I am not going to let you sit in my lap until we have both got some clothes on."
"Does that mean you will let me sit in your lap when we do?"
"Of course I will, chérie. Why ever would I not?"
"Oh, I don't know. But it's nice to know that you will."
"You can sit in my lap as well," Harry said. Hermione saw the gleam in Luna's eye. Evidently Harry did as well, since his next words were "Once we have clothes on, that is."
"Oh, pooh."
"Once we have clothes on, we can all sit in each others' laps," Fleur said. "Speaking of which... Minie?"
"Ouais, Mademoiselle Fleur. Minie has ze clothes laid out in ze bedroom. And Minie has ze towels right here." The elf snapped her fingers, and a stack of towels appeared on a little table beside the bathtub. They thanked her, and she popped away again.
"So," Harry said, "how will we do this? I mean, getting out of the tub and all of that."
Fleur closed her eyes for a moment. "Perhaps we should simply do what Luna would like... and no, Luna, I am only joking. Please do not jump out of the tub."
"Oh, pooh. Well, if we must be all shy, maybe our Master should get out of the tub, whilst we all look the other way, of course, dry himself off, take his handsome towel-wrapped self into the bedroom, and put on his clothes? Then he could give us word, and perhaps he could go and sit in your study until we are dressed?"
"I think that would work," Hermione said.
"Of course," Luna said, "it would be even better if he would choose to be a traditional Master and would watch as his pets towel each other dry and, in all their damp glory, troop into the dressing room of the harem, or better yet outside into the garden to let the sun finish drying them. But, as dear Fleur has said, sometimes we must, sadly, wait for good things to come to pass."
"Luna," Harry said in a soft voice, "if it were just the two of us, I would make myself do just what you'd like me to do, even though I'd feel embarrassed watching you run about wearing nothing but your collar. If it would make you happy, I'd even let you, well, look at me. Without any clothes on, I mean. But it's not just us. It's Hermione, and Fleur, and Ginny as well. And they would be embarrassed. I'll do anything I possibly can to make any one of you happy, unless that means hurting any one of you."
"Oh, Master," Luna said softly. "Thank you. I... I like teasing you. I like teasing all of you. I hope you don't mind. It's just, well, I've never had anyone to tease before. The people in my books were always teasing their friends, in a nice way, so I imagined that if I had lots of friends we'd tease each other."
Concerned, Hermione looked at Ginny. Hadn't the two young witches said they'd been friends for years? I hope Ginny isn't hurt. I think having her be angry at Luna would hurt almost as badly as having one of them be angry at me.
Apparently Luna had the same thought, because she suddenly reached out and pulled Ginny into a tight hug, complete with a kiss on the cheek. The redhead squeaked, as if she were slightly more aware of their nudity than Luna was, but then relaxed into the hug. "I'm sorry, Ginevra. I certainly didn't mean to say you were anything less than my wonderful best friend who didn't mind my seeing things you couldn't and never thought I was mad. It's just.. I always saw Ronald doing mean things to you and then saying he was only teasing and you shouldn't be such a little whinging girl, as if he thought you might have had a choice to be a boy instead, or maybe something else, like a rabbit or a dog or a Niffler? I didn't want to do anything that might make you think of that, so I never felt I could tease you very much."
"Oh, Luna. I know perfectly well you've not got a mean bone in your body. And even if you did have, you never could have done anything as mean as some of the things Ron used to do," Ginny said. "Remember when we were seven? The time he took my Harry Potter teddy and threw him in the river? The Twins got my teddy back for me, and they put nearly a thousand spiders in Ron's bed for it, but still..."
"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione said. "That's awful, your own brother doing something like that to you. I suppose I don't know anything about siblings, since I don't have any, but still, it just doesn't seem right." She wished she herself were like Luna, and brave enough to hug the little redhead right now, without any concern for clothes.
She'd been bullied herself, of course, but at least that was only at school. Imagine living with that horrible little Perkins, or any of the boys who used to steal my books and scribble rude words all over them. The only worse thing would be having to share a house with the mean girls who whispered vicious little stories about the local librarian touching Hermione under her clothes and Hermione not only letting Miss Marley do rude things to her but putting her own hands under Miss Marley's long black skirt because even a clueless bint like Hermione surely knew there was no other reason why anybody, even a lonely woman who dressed like a black and white photograph of somebody's great-great grandmother and spent her life surrounded by books, would pretend they actually liked a bushy-haired horror of a miserable swot.
"It wasn't all bad, Hermione," Ginny said. "Ron can sometimes be all right, and my other brothers have always been good to me. Besides, Luna and I found some ways to get away from Ron, didn't we?"
"Yes," Luna said. "That's one reason why Ginevra and I took to going bathing every chance we had. Mrs. Weasley told Ronald he couldn't 'play' with us if we went to the river or the pond for a bathe, and when he found out that it was because we'd be nude he said she didn't need to forbid him because he wouldn't get within a hundred yards of a naked girl for all the Galleons in Gringotts."
"Oh. I suppose now I understand why you like not having clothes on," Hermione said.
"Oh, I liked that long before, my dear. And even if I didn't, I know what the rules are for pets."
Someday, Hermione thought, I'll ask her where she learnt these rules. But right now I'm not sure I want to know the answer. After all, she might hand me some very naughty book that I will know we're all far too young to be reading. And I know perfectly well I'll not be able to resist reading it.
"Umm, Ginny?" Harry said. "Did you say you had a Harry Potter teddy? As in, well, me?"
"Yes." The little redhead's voice faltered. "I... I hope you don't mind. Mum made him for me, when I was little. He's got a scar on his forehead, just like yours, and eyes made out of green buttons... I suppose it's kind of silly. I'm sorry if you don't like it, and I won't mention it again..."
"No, Ginny, it's fine. I just... I can't imagine why you would. I mean... I'm told I'm famous, but... why would you want to have a teddy that's based on me?"
"Well... there are all of these books about you. They all talk about how wonderful you are. You're a hero. When you're not eating all your veg, even the sprouts and the peas, or being respectful to your teachers and helping the old witch next door degnome her garden without anyone telling you you should do, you're rescuing little girls from dragons. I always sort of hoped you'd rescue me some day."
"Oh."
"I hope that doesn't bother you..."
"Of course not, Ginny. Umm... can I hug you? I'll do it from the side, so we don't have to touch... umm, anywhere you don't want me to touch..."
"Oh, Harry, of course. You can always hug me. Whenever you want to. I'm your pet, aren't I? Besides, I like it when you hug me."
He hugged her about the shoulders. "I'm just... I'm sorry I'm not the hero you thought I was. I must be a terrible disappointment."
"Oh, Harry. You're even better than what I thought you were! You're sweet, and nice, and cuddly, and you even rescued me from Ron. I'm fairly well sure that's better than rescuing me from a dragon. After all, dragons only break out of their reserves maybe once every ten years, but Ron is a git to me at least once every day."
"I rescued you?"
"Yes! He'd been perfectly horrible ever since breakfast, and he was going to be perfectly horrible all day, and I was going to have a miserable time, cos Mum would be in a rage if we didn't stay together. And instead I met you, and you bought me, and now I have a wonderful master and three darling pet-sisters, including the girl who's been my best friend since we were two years of age. If that's not a rescue, I don't know what is." She squeezed Harry about the shoulders.
Hermione felt as if she should point out that Harry had bought her from her brother, and that surely their parents would have something to say about that, wouldn't they? Which made her think about her own parents. The whole experience had been so dreamlike that she'd barely thought about needing to contact them and let them know she was all right. I can't imagine Mum and Dad selling me the way Mr. Lovegood sold Luna, but at least that way I'd know they weren't worried about me. "Umm, Fleur? I should really get on the phone or send an owl or... or something and let my parents know I'm all right. I think they saw me vanish, and I suppose they probably would have got in touch with Professor McGonagall right away--she's the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts, and she said she was the one we should contact if we had any trouble with the magical world. I really don't want them to worry. Although... I don't want them to take me away, either. I hope they'll let me stay, without anyone doing anything drastic..."
Fleur smiled. "Ah, chérie, never fear. Maman and Papa asked me all your names, and they have informed the appropriate parents of your safe arrival here. They will explain matters, and, as a half-Veela and her husband, they understand what is at stake here. We will not give you up, my darling. It would hurt all of us badly, in more ways than simply how inconsolably sad we would be to part."
Ginny frowned. "I suppose I'm glad they're not worrying where I am, but Mum and Dad had better not try to take me away. Ron sold me, Harry bought me, and that settles it. I even have the collar to prove it. And your Mum and Dad had better not try to take you away, either, Hermione. You're my pet-sister, and I love you."
"Err... Thank you. I love you as well. I'm sorry if I'm not any good at showing it, I'm just not good at, at feelings, and..."
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said, "it's all right."
Hermione couldn't resist. She reached out and hugged the younger girl, from the side, just as Harry was doing. I wish I were brave enough to hug her the way Luna did. I wish I were brave enough to hug all of them just like that, even Harry... but not right now. Not until we have clothes on.
"See, my dear Hermione," Luna said softly, "you're actually very good at showing feelings, aren't you?"
"Thank you, Luna. My dear Luna."
Luna reached out and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "You're welcome, Hermione. I love you."
"I love you as well, Luna."
Harry was watching them, with a look on his face as if he were seeing something he'd hoped might exist, but had never really believed he would actually see. I'm going to kiss him, Hermione thought. Not right now, but soon. So I suppose I can relate to what I think he's thinking.
After a moment, Harry seemed to come back to himself. "So, I'll get out of the bath now, right?"
"If it pleases you to, Master," Luna said, with a little giggle. "We'll not watch you. Unless you've changed your mind, of course."
"Not right now, my Luna. But when we're older, yes."
"I look forward to being older, darling Master."
"So do we all," Fleur said. "But right now, let us close our eyes, my dear pet-sisters."
#
Harry looked amazingly good in Oncle Gérard's old clothes. He was wearing a pair of kakhi slacks and a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. On some level, Hermione wished desperately that she were brave enough to simply leap out of the tub, dressed in nothing but suds and water, throw her arms about him, and kiss him. But it didn't require Fleur's hand on her shoulder, gently caressing, to stop her. Not that I mind it... her touching me feels almost as nice as having Harry do it.
"My darling pet-sisters, is not our wonderful master wonderfully handsome?" the French girl said.
Harry blushed. "Err, thank you. So, I'm dressed. Your clothes are laid out on the bed. Shall I go to wait somewhere?"
"If you would like, my dear Master, you could go down the stairs and sit in my study," Fleur said. "The books in English are on the shelf to the left of my desk."
"Really? I mean, you don't mind if I read them?"
"Oh, Master... I am yours. That means my books are yours as well."
"Thank you. Err... and anything I have is yours as well. Not that I have much of anything. Except you and the other girls. Which means I actually have a great treasure, after all, doesn't it?"
Hermione knew she was blushing, herself, just as Harry had done. They all were, even Luna.
"T'ank you, Master," Fleur said. Hermione laid a hand on the French girl's shoulder, now. "An' now I t'ink you should go to sit in the study. Unless you're ready to see us all au naturelle, an' to touch all of us wit'out us having any clothes as well, because boys who say ze t'ings like zat, zey get hugged by ze girls zey say zem to. An' kissed as well, I should t'ink."
"Err... not unless you all really do want me to."
"Perhaps not quite yet, Master," Hermione said. "But... when we're ready, and no longer than that."
"Thank you, Hermione. And thank you, Fleur. Thank you, all of you."
"Go, Master, please. It would be a pity to get you all wet when your clothes, zey look so nice on you."
"Okay. I'll see you soon." He backed out of the room, as if he didn't want to waste an instant of time when he could be watching his girls. That felt really, really nice.
"Couldn't that dear thoughtful Minie dry him off if we got him wet by hugging him when we were all dripping from the tub, Fleur?"
"Yes, Luna. But I don't t'ink it is quite the time for that just yet."
"I know. But isn't a nice thought?"
"Yes. It's a lovely thought." Hermione shook her head. "Goodness, did I really just say that?"
"Yes, my darling pet-sister Hermione, you did." Luna pressed a little kiss on Hermione's cheek. "And you're absolutely right."
There was nothing she could say to that, so instead she kissed Luna's cheek.
"You are very sweet, my pet-sisters, but I think we should all get out of the water and get dressed so that we may go and hug our master and each other. Kisses are nicer when we don't need to worry about being embarrassed when we realise what parts of our bodies are pressing against each others' skin, not so?"
In an instant, Luna was out of the tub. "Come along, sweet pet-sisters. We've a master to snuggle with."
Hermione had always hated the changing rooms at school. Even if she'd not loathed games for being something she was miserable at and which frequently resulted in her being "accidentally" hit in the face with a football, she'd have loathed them because they caused her the misery of having to take her clothes off in a room full of girls who were happy to take any conceivable opportunity to say anything nasty about her, whether it was claiming she was looking at them and calling her a lesbian, talking about how scrawny or fat they thought she was, or saying nasty things about her tits and arse. And Heaven help me when I pointed out that last week they'd said only a lesbian would look at another girl when she had her kit off and here they were going on in great detail about how I looked with my kit off.
But now... not only did she trust her pet-sisters not to abuse her, but, more than that and much to her own surprise, she didn't feel shy at all. It wasn't that she was really looking at Fleur and Luna and Ginny, but she wasn't not looking at them, either. And she didn't mind in the least if they were looking at her, either.
"Minie will take the towels away for washing, my pet-sisters. We can drop them on the floor. She truly will not mind, or feel inconvenienced. If anything, it will make her happy." Fleur did just that. Hermione began to wrap herself in her towel for the walk into the bedroom. But then she looked at her pet-sisters, and something clicked. Surprising herself, she dropped the towel on the floor and walked, dressed just as she was, with the other girls, who were also dressed just as they were.
There were four sets of clothing laid out on the bed. "Minie has good taste, I think. This suits your colouring well, dear Hermione. But if you would prefer, we can find something else, I am sure."
"Thank you, Fleur. It's lovely." The simple sundress was perfect, actually. It was in a soft shade of blue that looked well with her own colouring, but would have been equally suitable for Fleur. She liked that she could wear some of Fleur's clothes.
"Oh, lovely, you're dressed!"
"Yes, Luna." Somehow, Hermione knew what was coming, and she turned round just in time to catch the little blonde as she glomped onto her. She hugged Luna just as tightly as she was hugged, and nuzzled her hair.
"Don't get me wrong, your skin is lovely and I look forward to the day when I can do this no matter what we're not wearing, but I've been wanting rather badly to give you a proper hug ever since we got in the tub. Thank you."
"Thank you, Luna."
Ginny wrapped her arms about both Hermione and Luna. "I love you, pet-sisters."
Fleur hugged the threesome. "Darlings, I love you. And now we're dressed, let us go to hug our Master Harry. Yes?"
Harry was sitting at Fleur's desk chair, reading a big thick leather-bound book, looking very intent and very handsome. Hermione was torn between the urge to hug him, the desire to find out what he was reading about, and the thought that she herself generally didn't like people disturbing her when she was reading and surely she should give her master the same courtesy.
Fortunately, he heard them step into the study. He marked his place, laid the book on the desk, and got up. The five of them embraced.
"Does our master wish to continue with his reading? Or would he rather cuddle with his pets? Or perhaps there is some other game that he might like to play with them?" Fleur's tone was light, teasing.
Harry turned a lovely shade of pink. Hermione was worried that Fleur might have gone too far. But then he grinned, stood up on his toes, and whispered something in her ear. When he was done, he pressed his lips to the tip of her nose before settling back onto his heels. Now Fleur's face was exactly the same shade as his.
Hermione squeezed them both. There was nothing else for it. Luna and Ginny seemed to have the same thought.
"So, would my darling pet-sisters and my wonderful master like to see the garden?"
"If my darling Fleur would like to show us, and if my other sweet pets would like to see it, I'd like nothing better."
TBC
Was a bit annoyed recently to find a reference to what was clearly "Harry's New Pets" in a thread on a yahoo group where somebody was complaining about folk injecting politics into fic. Supposedly my having Hermione think that, when Harry said it, the name "Dudley" sounded as horrifying as "Dracula" or "Thatcher" was an example of this.
FFS, it's a character viewpoint thing. Hermione's an only child, and it seems pretty clear her parents are fairly left wing, when you see things in canon like how naturally she takes up causes such as saving Buckbeak and promoting House Elf rights. Of course at eleven years of age she sees Margaret Thatcher as a phantasmagorical evil monster. It has nothing to do with my own opinions. It does relate to how I remember seeing politicians my parents disagreed with when I was a child, but if the textual evidence indicated Hermione's parents were Conservatives I might've said "Scargill" or "single European currency" or even "Gerry Adams".
As S.M. Stirling once said "There is a word that describes people who assume that the characters' politics are identical to the author's. That word is: idiot."
Okay, that's vented now. Thanks for reading!
PS--I think maybe I need to go through and mostly eliminate phoneticising Fleur's accent, except in a few instances for effect. I started out doing it as a way of copying Rowling's style, but it's a bit tiring to write.
Any road, I felt like posting something, and this was at a point where I felt I could.
***
"Minie," Fleur said, "viens!"
The little elf popped into the room. "Ouais, Mademoiselle Fleur? Does Meess Fleur's kind mastaire want 'is clothes, and ze collars an' leashes for Meess Fleur an' 'is ozzer pets?"
Fleur blushed. "Ah... we want clothes as well, Minie."
"But... Meess Fleur is a pet, an' so are les autres filles. Pets don't wear ze clothes!"
"My sentiments exactly, kind Miss Minie," Luna said. "But our Master is shy, and doesn't understand all the rules yet."
"Does ze young Mastaire not value Meess Fleur an' ze ozzer pretty girls? Zis ees not right," Minie said. Her eyes went wide. "Ah, Minie la mauvaise! Je suis desolé, Monsieur le Maitre 'Arry! Je vais me brulé les doigts..."
"Good heavens!" Hermione said, but didn't know what else to say. "You mustn't burn yourself..."
"Non, Minie, il faut que tu ne..." Fleur began to say, but trailed off as Harry spoke.
"No, Miss Minie," Harry said. "I value them, very, very much. More than that, I love them, and I'm trying to... to get used to how my Luna wants to dress, even though it's very hard for me, because I never thought such a thing would happen to me. But my wonderful Hermione and my sweet Ginny and my darling Fleur would be embarrassed if they had to walk about in nothing but collars. And Madame Delacour asked that they all remain dressed outside of our rooms, and Fleur wants to show us the rest of Chateau Delacour. So... wouldn't you please be so kind as to bring us all some clothes? And the collars for my beloved pets?"
"Ouais, Monsieur le bon Maitre 'Arry. Would Master 'Arry and his pets like the same clothes zey were wearing, or...?"
"Fleur," Harry said, "whatever you think is best."
Fleur and Minie had another conversation in fast, highly dialectical French. At last, the little elf bowed and popped away. "I asked her to bring our 'Arry some of my father's boyhood clothes," Fleur said, "ze most casual ones, most like modern clothes. And I t'ought sweet 'Ermione should have some of my clothes, ones zat would fit her and look much nicer and feel much better zan a teeshirt and a swimming costume. Zey are older ones, from before I began to... grow in certain places, but not so old. Is zat all right?"
"It's wonderful, Fleur," Harry said. "Thank you." She beamed and hugged him round the shoulders.
"If you don't mind, Fleur," Hermione said, "that would be wonderful."
"'Ermione," Fleur said, "my darling pet-sister, of course I don't mind. You and I... all of us girls... we share our lives, now. We sleep in the same bed and bathe in the same tub, we have ze same master. Wit' zat, it seems only reasonable, and not an inconvenience at all, to share my closet wit' you. Not only do I not mind, I am delighted. Luna, Ginny... would you prefer your own clothes, or would you like to wear some of mine?"
"Even though I wish my Master would undress me instead," Luna said, "I would be very pleased if my darling big pet sister were to dress me." Fleur leant over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.
"You don't have to," Ginny said. "I'll be fine with my old clothes. I wouldn't want to be any trouble..."
Fleur sighed and hugged her about the shoulders. "Ma chère petite Ginevra," she said, "you could not possibly be any trouble. If you wish to wear the clothes you wore this morning when we met, I will not stop you. But I would be delighted to share my closet wit' you."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Of course I am sure, chérie."
"Thank you!" Ginny positively glowed. Will I ever be able to make any of them that happy?
Suddenly, as if she could read Hermione's thoughts, Fleur leant over and kissed her on the cheek. "Je t'aime, chérie. Never doubt yourself, or your value, to all of us. I would wish at this very moment to pull you into my lap and hug you, very tightly, but as neither of us is at all dressed right now, I t'ink zat you would be embarrassed."
"A little bit, yes," Hermione whispered.
"Well, we will work on zat, yes?"
"Okay."
Fleur kissed her cheek again. "Well, for now, then, let us get out of the tub and put on our clothes. I think there are several hugs that must be given."
"Goodness," Luna said, "I don't think I've ever actually looked forward to putting on clothes before."
"Are you all right, Luna?" Ginny said, putting her hand on her friend's forehead. "Hmm, I don't think you feel feverish..."
"Of course I'm all right, silly Ginevra. I'm still looking forward even more to the day our Master and our Hermione get over being shy, so we can have hugs without worrying about whether anyone's got clothes on or not."
"Be patient, darling," Fleur said. "Good things come to those who wait, not so?"
"I suppose, but wouldn't it be nice for good things to hurry up and come sooner?"
Fleur sighed, theatrically. "Oh, Luna," she said, and hugged the little blonde.
"Oh, Fleur," Luna said, hugging her back. "I'm glad someone's not shy, at least."
"Well, not as shy, perhaps. But I am not going to let you sit in my lap until we have both got some clothes on."
"Does that mean you will let me sit in your lap when we do?"
"Of course I will, chérie. Why ever would I not?"
"Oh, I don't know. But it's nice to know that you will."
"You can sit in my lap as well," Harry said. Hermione saw the gleam in Luna's eye. Evidently Harry did as well, since his next words were "Once we have clothes on, that is."
"Oh, pooh."
"Once we have clothes on, we can all sit in each others' laps," Fleur said. "Speaking of which... Minie?"
"Ouais, Mademoiselle Fleur. Minie has ze clothes laid out in ze bedroom. And Minie has ze towels right here." The elf snapped her fingers, and a stack of towels appeared on a little table beside the bathtub. They thanked her, and she popped away again.
"So," Harry said, "how will we do this? I mean, getting out of the tub and all of that."
Fleur closed her eyes for a moment. "Perhaps we should simply do what Luna would like... and no, Luna, I am only joking. Please do not jump out of the tub."
"Oh, pooh. Well, if we must be all shy, maybe our Master should get out of the tub, whilst we all look the other way, of course, dry himself off, take his handsome towel-wrapped self into the bedroom, and put on his clothes? Then he could give us word, and perhaps he could go and sit in your study until we are dressed?"
"I think that would work," Hermione said.
"Of course," Luna said, "it would be even better if he would choose to be a traditional Master and would watch as his pets towel each other dry and, in all their damp glory, troop into the dressing room of the harem, or better yet outside into the garden to let the sun finish drying them. But, as dear Fleur has said, sometimes we must, sadly, wait for good things to come to pass."
"Luna," Harry said in a soft voice, "if it were just the two of us, I would make myself do just what you'd like me to do, even though I'd feel embarrassed watching you run about wearing nothing but your collar. If it would make you happy, I'd even let you, well, look at me. Without any clothes on, I mean. But it's not just us. It's Hermione, and Fleur, and Ginny as well. And they would be embarrassed. I'll do anything I possibly can to make any one of you happy, unless that means hurting any one of you."
"Oh, Master," Luna said softly. "Thank you. I... I like teasing you. I like teasing all of you. I hope you don't mind. It's just, well, I've never had anyone to tease before. The people in my books were always teasing their friends, in a nice way, so I imagined that if I had lots of friends we'd tease each other."
Concerned, Hermione looked at Ginny. Hadn't the two young witches said they'd been friends for years? I hope Ginny isn't hurt. I think having her be angry at Luna would hurt almost as badly as having one of them be angry at me.
Apparently Luna had the same thought, because she suddenly reached out and pulled Ginny into a tight hug, complete with a kiss on the cheek. The redhead squeaked, as if she were slightly more aware of their nudity than Luna was, but then relaxed into the hug. "I'm sorry, Ginevra. I certainly didn't mean to say you were anything less than my wonderful best friend who didn't mind my seeing things you couldn't and never thought I was mad. It's just.. I always saw Ronald doing mean things to you and then saying he was only teasing and you shouldn't be such a little whinging girl, as if he thought you might have had a choice to be a boy instead, or maybe something else, like a rabbit or a dog or a Niffler? I didn't want to do anything that might make you think of that, so I never felt I could tease you very much."
"Oh, Luna. I know perfectly well you've not got a mean bone in your body. And even if you did have, you never could have done anything as mean as some of the things Ron used to do," Ginny said. "Remember when we were seven? The time he took my Harry Potter teddy and threw him in the river? The Twins got my teddy back for me, and they put nearly a thousand spiders in Ron's bed for it, but still..."
"I'm sorry, Ginny," Hermione said. "That's awful, your own brother doing something like that to you. I suppose I don't know anything about siblings, since I don't have any, but still, it just doesn't seem right." She wished she herself were like Luna, and brave enough to hug the little redhead right now, without any concern for clothes.
She'd been bullied herself, of course, but at least that was only at school. Imagine living with that horrible little Perkins, or any of the boys who used to steal my books and scribble rude words all over them. The only worse thing would be having to share a house with the mean girls who whispered vicious little stories about the local librarian touching Hermione under her clothes and Hermione not only letting Miss Marley do rude things to her but putting her own hands under Miss Marley's long black skirt because even a clueless bint like Hermione surely knew there was no other reason why anybody, even a lonely woman who dressed like a black and white photograph of somebody's great-great grandmother and spent her life surrounded by books, would pretend they actually liked a bushy-haired horror of a miserable swot.
"It wasn't all bad, Hermione," Ginny said. "Ron can sometimes be all right, and my other brothers have always been good to me. Besides, Luna and I found some ways to get away from Ron, didn't we?"
"Yes," Luna said. "That's one reason why Ginevra and I took to going bathing every chance we had. Mrs. Weasley told Ronald he couldn't 'play' with us if we went to the river or the pond for a bathe, and when he found out that it was because we'd be nude he said she didn't need to forbid him because he wouldn't get within a hundred yards of a naked girl for all the Galleons in Gringotts."
"Oh. I suppose now I understand why you like not having clothes on," Hermione said.
"Oh, I liked that long before, my dear. And even if I didn't, I know what the rules are for pets."
Someday, Hermione thought, I'll ask her where she learnt these rules. But right now I'm not sure I want to know the answer. After all, she might hand me some very naughty book that I will know we're all far too young to be reading. And I know perfectly well I'll not be able to resist reading it.
"Umm, Ginny?" Harry said. "Did you say you had a Harry Potter teddy? As in, well, me?"
"Yes." The little redhead's voice faltered. "I... I hope you don't mind. Mum made him for me, when I was little. He's got a scar on his forehead, just like yours, and eyes made out of green buttons... I suppose it's kind of silly. I'm sorry if you don't like it, and I won't mention it again..."
"No, Ginny, it's fine. I just... I can't imagine why you would. I mean... I'm told I'm famous, but... why would you want to have a teddy that's based on me?"
"Well... there are all of these books about you. They all talk about how wonderful you are. You're a hero. When you're not eating all your veg, even the sprouts and the peas, or being respectful to your teachers and helping the old witch next door degnome her garden without anyone telling you you should do, you're rescuing little girls from dragons. I always sort of hoped you'd rescue me some day."
"Oh."
"I hope that doesn't bother you..."
"Of course not, Ginny. Umm... can I hug you? I'll do it from the side, so we don't have to touch... umm, anywhere you don't want me to touch..."
"Oh, Harry, of course. You can always hug me. Whenever you want to. I'm your pet, aren't I? Besides, I like it when you hug me."
He hugged her about the shoulders. "I'm just... I'm sorry I'm not the hero you thought I was. I must be a terrible disappointment."
"Oh, Harry. You're even better than what I thought you were! You're sweet, and nice, and cuddly, and you even rescued me from Ron. I'm fairly well sure that's better than rescuing me from a dragon. After all, dragons only break out of their reserves maybe once every ten years, but Ron is a git to me at least once every day."
"I rescued you?"
"Yes! He'd been perfectly horrible ever since breakfast, and he was going to be perfectly horrible all day, and I was going to have a miserable time, cos Mum would be in a rage if we didn't stay together. And instead I met you, and you bought me, and now I have a wonderful master and three darling pet-sisters, including the girl who's been my best friend since we were two years of age. If that's not a rescue, I don't know what is." She squeezed Harry about the shoulders.
Hermione felt as if she should point out that Harry had bought her from her brother, and that surely their parents would have something to say about that, wouldn't they? Which made her think about her own parents. The whole experience had been so dreamlike that she'd barely thought about needing to contact them and let them know she was all right. I can't imagine Mum and Dad selling me the way Mr. Lovegood sold Luna, but at least that way I'd know they weren't worried about me. "Umm, Fleur? I should really get on the phone or send an owl or... or something and let my parents know I'm all right. I think they saw me vanish, and I suppose they probably would have got in touch with Professor McGonagall right away--she's the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts, and she said she was the one we should contact if we had any trouble with the magical world. I really don't want them to worry. Although... I don't want them to take me away, either. I hope they'll let me stay, without anyone doing anything drastic..."
Fleur smiled. "Ah, chérie, never fear. Maman and Papa asked me all your names, and they have informed the appropriate parents of your safe arrival here. They will explain matters, and, as a half-Veela and her husband, they understand what is at stake here. We will not give you up, my darling. It would hurt all of us badly, in more ways than simply how inconsolably sad we would be to part."
Ginny frowned. "I suppose I'm glad they're not worrying where I am, but Mum and Dad had better not try to take me away. Ron sold me, Harry bought me, and that settles it. I even have the collar to prove it. And your Mum and Dad had better not try to take you away, either, Hermione. You're my pet-sister, and I love you."
"Err... Thank you. I love you as well. I'm sorry if I'm not any good at showing it, I'm just not good at, at feelings, and..."
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said, "it's all right."
Hermione couldn't resist. She reached out and hugged the younger girl, from the side, just as Harry was doing. I wish I were brave enough to hug her the way Luna did. I wish I were brave enough to hug all of them just like that, even Harry... but not right now. Not until we have clothes on.
"See, my dear Hermione," Luna said softly, "you're actually very good at showing feelings, aren't you?"
"Thank you, Luna. My dear Luna."
Luna reached out and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "You're welcome, Hermione. I love you."
"I love you as well, Luna."
Harry was watching them, with a look on his face as if he were seeing something he'd hoped might exist, but had never really believed he would actually see. I'm going to kiss him, Hermione thought. Not right now, but soon. So I suppose I can relate to what I think he's thinking.
After a moment, Harry seemed to come back to himself. "So, I'll get out of the bath now, right?"
"If it pleases you to, Master," Luna said, with a little giggle. "We'll not watch you. Unless you've changed your mind, of course."
"Not right now, my Luna. But when we're older, yes."
"I look forward to being older, darling Master."
"So do we all," Fleur said. "But right now, let us close our eyes, my dear pet-sisters."
#
Harry looked amazingly good in Oncle Gérard's old clothes. He was wearing a pair of kakhi slacks and a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. On some level, Hermione wished desperately that she were brave enough to simply leap out of the tub, dressed in nothing but suds and water, throw her arms about him, and kiss him. But it didn't require Fleur's hand on her shoulder, gently caressing, to stop her. Not that I mind it... her touching me feels almost as nice as having Harry do it.
"My darling pet-sisters, is not our wonderful master wonderfully handsome?" the French girl said.
Harry blushed. "Err, thank you. So, I'm dressed. Your clothes are laid out on the bed. Shall I go to wait somewhere?"
"If you would like, my dear Master, you could go down the stairs and sit in my study," Fleur said. "The books in English are on the shelf to the left of my desk."
"Really? I mean, you don't mind if I read them?"
"Oh, Master... I am yours. That means my books are yours as well."
"Thank you. Err... and anything I have is yours as well. Not that I have much of anything. Except you and the other girls. Which means I actually have a great treasure, after all, doesn't it?"
Hermione knew she was blushing, herself, just as Harry had done. They all were, even Luna.
"T'ank you, Master," Fleur said. Hermione laid a hand on the French girl's shoulder, now. "An' now I t'ink you should go to sit in the study. Unless you're ready to see us all au naturelle, an' to touch all of us wit'out us having any clothes as well, because boys who say ze t'ings like zat, zey get hugged by ze girls zey say zem to. An' kissed as well, I should t'ink."
"Err... not unless you all really do want me to."
"Perhaps not quite yet, Master," Hermione said. "But... when we're ready, and no longer than that."
"Thank you, Hermione. And thank you, Fleur. Thank you, all of you."
"Go, Master, please. It would be a pity to get you all wet when your clothes, zey look so nice on you."
"Okay. I'll see you soon." He backed out of the room, as if he didn't want to waste an instant of time when he could be watching his girls. That felt really, really nice.
"Couldn't that dear thoughtful Minie dry him off if we got him wet by hugging him when we were all dripping from the tub, Fleur?"
"Yes, Luna. But I don't t'ink it is quite the time for that just yet."
"I know. But isn't a nice thought?"
"Yes. It's a lovely thought." Hermione shook her head. "Goodness, did I really just say that?"
"Yes, my darling pet-sister Hermione, you did." Luna pressed a little kiss on Hermione's cheek. "And you're absolutely right."
There was nothing she could say to that, so instead she kissed Luna's cheek.
"You are very sweet, my pet-sisters, but I think we should all get out of the water and get dressed so that we may go and hug our master and each other. Kisses are nicer when we don't need to worry about being embarrassed when we realise what parts of our bodies are pressing against each others' skin, not so?"
In an instant, Luna was out of the tub. "Come along, sweet pet-sisters. We've a master to snuggle with."
Hermione had always hated the changing rooms at school. Even if she'd not loathed games for being something she was miserable at and which frequently resulted in her being "accidentally" hit in the face with a football, she'd have loathed them because they caused her the misery of having to take her clothes off in a room full of girls who were happy to take any conceivable opportunity to say anything nasty about her, whether it was claiming she was looking at them and calling her a lesbian, talking about how scrawny or fat they thought she was, or saying nasty things about her tits and arse. And Heaven help me when I pointed out that last week they'd said only a lesbian would look at another girl when she had her kit off and here they were going on in great detail about how I looked with my kit off.
But now... not only did she trust her pet-sisters not to abuse her, but, more than that and much to her own surprise, she didn't feel shy at all. It wasn't that she was really looking at Fleur and Luna and Ginny, but she wasn't not looking at them, either. And she didn't mind in the least if they were looking at her, either.
"Minie will take the towels away for washing, my pet-sisters. We can drop them on the floor. She truly will not mind, or feel inconvenienced. If anything, it will make her happy." Fleur did just that. Hermione began to wrap herself in her towel for the walk into the bedroom. But then she looked at her pet-sisters, and something clicked. Surprising herself, she dropped the towel on the floor and walked, dressed just as she was, with the other girls, who were also dressed just as they were.
There were four sets of clothing laid out on the bed. "Minie has good taste, I think. This suits your colouring well, dear Hermione. But if you would prefer, we can find something else, I am sure."
"Thank you, Fleur. It's lovely." The simple sundress was perfect, actually. It was in a soft shade of blue that looked well with her own colouring, but would have been equally suitable for Fleur. She liked that she could wear some of Fleur's clothes.
"Oh, lovely, you're dressed!"
"Yes, Luna." Somehow, Hermione knew what was coming, and she turned round just in time to catch the little blonde as she glomped onto her. She hugged Luna just as tightly as she was hugged, and nuzzled her hair.
"Don't get me wrong, your skin is lovely and I look forward to the day when I can do this no matter what we're not wearing, but I've been wanting rather badly to give you a proper hug ever since we got in the tub. Thank you."
"Thank you, Luna."
Ginny wrapped her arms about both Hermione and Luna. "I love you, pet-sisters."
Fleur hugged the threesome. "Darlings, I love you. And now we're dressed, let us go to hug our Master Harry. Yes?"
Harry was sitting at Fleur's desk chair, reading a big thick leather-bound book, looking very intent and very handsome. Hermione was torn between the urge to hug him, the desire to find out what he was reading about, and the thought that she herself generally didn't like people disturbing her when she was reading and surely she should give her master the same courtesy.
Fortunately, he heard them step into the study. He marked his place, laid the book on the desk, and got up. The five of them embraced.
"Does our master wish to continue with his reading? Or would he rather cuddle with his pets? Or perhaps there is some other game that he might like to play with them?" Fleur's tone was light, teasing.
Harry turned a lovely shade of pink. Hermione was worried that Fleur might have gone too far. But then he grinned, stood up on his toes, and whispered something in her ear. When he was done, he pressed his lips to the tip of her nose before settling back onto his heels. Now Fleur's face was exactly the same shade as his.
Hermione squeezed them both. There was nothing else for it. Luna and Ginny seemed to have the same thought.
"So, would my darling pet-sisters and my wonderful master like to see the garden?"
"If my darling Fleur would like to show us, and if my other sweet pets would like to see it, I'd like nothing better."
TBC
Was a bit annoyed recently to find a reference to what was clearly "Harry's New Pets" in a thread on a yahoo group where somebody was complaining about folk injecting politics into fic. Supposedly my having Hermione think that, when Harry said it, the name "Dudley" sounded as horrifying as "Dracula" or "Thatcher" was an example of this.
FFS, it's a character viewpoint thing. Hermione's an only child, and it seems pretty clear her parents are fairly left wing, when you see things in canon like how naturally she takes up causes such as saving Buckbeak and promoting House Elf rights. Of course at eleven years of age she sees Margaret Thatcher as a phantasmagorical evil monster. It has nothing to do with my own opinions. It does relate to how I remember seeing politicians my parents disagreed with when I was a child, but if the textual evidence indicated Hermione's parents were Conservatives I might've said "Scargill" or "single European currency" or even "Gerry Adams".
As S.M. Stirling once said "There is a word that describes people who assume that the characters' politics are identical to the author's. That word is: idiot."
Okay, that's vented now. Thanks for reading!
PS--I think maybe I need to go through and mostly eliminate phoneticising Fleur's accent, except in a few instances for effect. I started out doing it as a way of copying Rowling's style, but it's a bit tiring to write.