A/N: Hello once again! I know that it has been a while. A long long long while. Life is crazy like that. I received some terrible news and a massive shift in my normal life and this story just fell between the cracks for 3 years. I'm sure I'll address it at some point but not right now.

Just a heads up, I'll say when Harry is switching to French or English, and there won't be any terrible accents through garish spelling. Hagrid is my one exception.

And Away We Go!

Chapter 24: Flashbacks, French Girls, and Family.

***Flashback***

"Earth to Hermione" Harry laughed, drawing Hermione out of her thoughts. She blushed and allowed Harry to show her how to end the connection. They tested it once more with Hermione initiating the contact first. It was a lovely gift she thought, and would let her stay in touch with Harry which was honestly a bit of a relief. She already had Daphne to contend with, who knows what foreign witches might think of the tall, handsome, talented, famous, and rich British Wizard.

Where the hell did that come from?

"Are you al-" Harry was lost for words physically and mentally when Hermione placed her lips against his.

She tasted… sweet. Different than Tracey, but still pleasant. His heart must have skipped at least 3 beats in the moment that the kiss started. Hermione had just begun to pull away when Harry woke up and his hand came up, sliding up her arm and then around to the back of her neck and pulling her back into a deeper kiss. Harry didn't know where it was coming from but he found himself enjoying the kiss, his only outlet for the storm of feelings and hormones that he had been fighting for weeks.

Hermione was surprised when Harry returned the kiss fervently, and the surprise turned pleasant when he moved his other hand to her lower back and spun them around. Hermione felt her bum hit the table behind her. Her own hands came up and grabbed ahold of Harry's robes, surprising her with their softness until she reminded herself in some detached corner of her mind that he had upgraded his robes to the expensive ones.

Harry's hand moved from her lower back to her waist, once more pulling her closer, and moving his kisses from her lips to her jawline. Hermione was lost in the exciting unexplored territory she found herself in, letting out harsh exhalations and trying to make sense of why Harry was so bloody good at this, and had yet to decide when to stop Harry from moving forward when the choice was removed from them both.

*Bang!**Bang!**Bang!*

Harry and Hermione grinned sheepishly at one another, both faces still beat red both from the kiss and the mad dash they had made out of the Library. Madam Pince had barely waited a moment before spelling the door open only to find the room empty. Harry had wisely kept them under the cloak for the entire exit from the Library. The closeness the now cramped cloak brought them both had different reactions from them both. Harry was over the moon, while Hermione was conflicted.

Once they had made it a sufficient distance from the Library and into a nearby classroom Harry whisked the cloak away and made some space. It didn't last long as Harry stepped once more into Hermione's personal space, thinking to continue what they had started but came up short at the expression on Hermione's face.

Harry sighed and stamped down his hormones as best he could, "I'm guessing by that look that you didn't enjoy that. I though-"

Hermione stepped a bit closer and stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Harry... I'll admit that in the moment it was amazing but I… I don't think I... Let me start again. I don't think that we are ready for that step in our relationship. That was my first kiss and it was so… so much more than I was expecting. Yet it was also so much more different than I was expecting as well. Fierce and and great but… I don't know. I'm sorry." Hermione looked down in frustration. She was usually more thought out than this, what was wrong with her.

Harry smiled softly. He understood. The relationship he had with Hermione was definitely different from the one HJP had shared with his version of Hermione, yet Harry was unsure if it was that different. They weren't ruling it out but it was more of a 'let calmer heads prevail' decision. How very Hermione. Harry stepped close and placed a soft kiss against Hermione's cheek.

"I understand. Don't worry. Don't lose that mirror though" Harry smiled as genuinely as he could. Sure he understood the logic, but rejection rarely felt good for the rejected. Hermione smiled as well and nodded, showing him that he had it in her bag. The Warning Bell tolled and in the time Harry looked up out of habit Hermione had already started out the door.

"Damn." Harry whispered to himself, watching her leave. "Nice going. Stupid perk"

***Flashback Break***

The moment had replayed itself at least a thousand times. Harry vividly remembered every moment, to the millisecond, and it tortured him. He wasn't tortured by the idea that Hermione had rejected him. That part Harry had let go of fairly easily. It was how great it felt in the moment. That was the distracting part. It was all he wanted to think about. His chivalry warring against hormonal teenage desires and producing a hundred different fantasies that spiraled into daydreams and incorporated others besides his bookish friend.

So Harry threw himself into other tasks, any task, to avoid thinking about it too much. He scoured the Forbidden Forest, determined to get as many Clippings as he could for Magicka Potions as well as others. Harry was so devout to the task that Herbology had jumped from 34 to 43 and Clipping from 31 to 52. The excitement of receiving a Boon let Harry know that maybe he had enough plants. He only continued a few more times due to the Boon he chose. Take Root granted him a 15% increased chance to receive seeds and he didn't want to rest until he had enough seeds for the greenhouses at his home. That was the excuse he gave himself anyways.

Fearing that Sirius would only tease him, Harry had Dobby bring the Potions Lab to a small shelter he had erected in the Forest as a sort of central point for his Clipping. His Potions Skill appreciated his copious amount of ingredients, stopping just shy of the Boon mark at 49 before he ran out. He almost stormed off to Diagon just to get the Boon but just huffed in annoyance, knowing he'd hit the mark naturally in class.

Harry even took a stab at his Inventory, just to distract himself from the muddling of thoughts his mind had become. Clothes he no longer wore were Dismantled, only producing a modest 3 Points in Tailoring but it was something. Leatherworking was luckily a little more forgiving and he actually had a decent set of leather armor fashioned up after many attempts with Dismantling and recreating. He had produced Masterwork gloves and boots once his Skill had reached 30 and his chances had increased. The Auto Sort feature of his recent Logistics Boon proved its worth and he was able to free up a lot of space after some thought. The pile of stuff was regarded with a critical eye, only keeping the raw materials before a lot of it was Vanished.

He also glanced at the primers and dictionaries that he had purchased in Muggle London and was at least impressed when he unlocked Portugese, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, and Russian. He knew that there were an absurd number of languages worldwide, not even including the various Magical ones, so Harry resolved to focus on the most common ones as well as any that the schools he chose might have. Or even teach, Harry reminded himself. Knowing Giant, if they even had their own language, as well as some magical languages could lead to unique opportunities later in life that he did not want to miss out on.

Portuguese skill Unlocked!

Portuguese skill increased! It is now 16!

Japanese skill Unlocked!

Japanese skill increased! It is now 14!

Mandarin skill Unlocked!

Mandarin skill increased! It is now 21!

Hindi skill Unlocked!

Hindi skill increased! It is now 16!

Russian skill Unlocked!

Russian skill increased! It is now 17!

***Flashback Break***

The Portkey deposited Harry at his customary spot in the Manor, an alcove set off the main entrance that had a coat and shoe rack and a few cabinets for more personal storage with a passcode Rune system he hadn't explored. He set off for the basement. There were some weights down there that were actually tempting him, his Weightlifting sitting at 18 was beginning to look sad compared to many of his other Physical Skills. It took a while to train compared to his other Physical Skills and he wanted to bring some of the equipment with him.

When Harry stepped into his training room what he did not expect was a shirtless Sirius to be using some of the equipment. Like an overgrown puppy, Sirius hopped up when Harry entered the room and bounded over. Already Harry noticed that Sirius was looking much better in the few days since coming to the Potter residence. Sirius's body was still pale as a ghost and all skin and bone, but there was already the beginnings of a paunch that was no doubt the fault of Dobby's zealous need to feed those under his care.

"Harry! I was starting to think you'd forgotten me" Sirius said with a wide grin, and Harry almost winced when he thought about how long he had kept Sirius waiting even before bringing him to the manor. He knew that he did what he thought necessary to try and preserve as much of the timeline as he could. It was the vast changes brought on by the werewolf attack that had spurred him into action, knowing that if the term was already that different then he shouldn't, couldn't, wait any longer. In the back of his mind Harry knew that soon his knowledge of HJP's timeline would be next to useless.

"Of course not. I didn't expect to see you down here. You're looking better. More color in your cheeks" Harry grinned in response, returning the hug that Sirius initiated. "You still stink like a dog though"

"Har-har. I'm trying to move this little bubble here to other parts. Az-Azkaban's gym hasn't been updated in years. You know" Sirius's attempt at a joke did nothing to disguise the dullness his eyes adopted when he mentioned the prison, but Harry knew that only time could mend that damage.

"Settling in well enough?" Harry asked, letting the joke pass without comment, and took up a few dumbbells before setting up on the bench near where Sirius had been.

"This home is amazing. I spent the first 2 days exploring, and trying not to puke from the amount of food Dobby tried to feed me. That's getting better each day though. You have an absurd amount of hobbies. More than Lily and James combined." Sirius resumed pumping the 8 kilo weights, looking enviously at Harry who was easily handling 15 kilos in each arm before they disappeared into his inventory.

Harry caught the look and smiled in understanding, "You'll be back in action soon enough, Padfoot. Take the time to mend properly"

"I know, I know. Dobby has been making sure that I follow a routine. Keeps my mind occupied. 5 small meals a day, exercise for 30 minutes 3 times a day at least 2 hours apart, at least one set swimming. Rest well at night. Almost feel like I'm back at school but I feel stronger already than I have in years." Sirius shook his head in exasperation after listing the routine Dobby had been enforcing.

"It's only for a while I'm sure, just until you rebuild some muscle" Harry asked, moving over to the resistance straps and hooking them to the wall figuring he might as well use them while he chatted with Sirius.

"So that's how you use those! I thought they were some sort of… never mind, you'll find out in a few years" Sirius took a set of straps for himself and set up next to Harry.

"No, they're not for that. I keep those straps upstairs" Harry said with a straight face. Sirius blanched and accidentally let go of the strap he was pulling. The loud slap of the handle against the wall made Sirius jump slightly and Harry's facade cracked and he burst out laughing.

"Oh man, your face!" Harry chuckled, switching his exercise with the straps to a different set.

Sirius glared at Harry and made to swat at him, but Harry just laughed and side stepped it without missing a beat. They continued the resistance straps for a while with Harry leading Sirius through a few exercises. Harry was pleased to see that the Weightlifting Skill at least benefited from the short exercise, and after Sirius conceded Harry continued for another couple of hours taking advantage of the Gamer stamina.

Weightlifting Skill has increased! It is now 21!

***Flashback Break***

Sirius glanced at Harry when the younger male joined him outside later that evening, chuckling at Harry's choice to place his hair up in a towel after a shower. "You look ridiculous"

"Thanks, you too" Harry responded. Sirius was in a garish pink robe, bright even in the dimming light.

"It was the only one that Dobby had provided when asked" Sirius complained and Harry chuckled knowingly.

"He used that same color when I asked him to paint the shed after I banned him from the kitchen. I'm beginning to think that it might be his favorite color. A calling card, at this point." Harry passed over a plate of bangers and mash that he had whipped up, Sirius's eyes lighting up at the pile of food.

Sirius choked down a few bites in his haste to eat, and was so intent on stuffing his face with the delicious food that Harry had prepared that he almost missed the offered Butterbeer. After washing down the bites he had taken Sirius grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. It's how I used to eat back when... well. Meal times were one of the few times that the Dementors would move away from our cells. They only gave us 15 minutes to eat. You didn't really keep an appetite after the Dementors came back. Vicious bastards."

Harry looked over at Sirius who was staring up at the moon with a far off look in his eyes. There was a brief wind that reminded them both that it was on the cusp of Autumn. The chill knocked Sirius out of his melancholy momentarily and prompted Harry to move them both to the sitting room and start a fire. Once they had settled in once again, Harry motioned for Sirius to continue eating, both of them finishing up the meal and enjoying one of the last nights together for a while. Dobby occasionally appeared to top off the fuel supply for the fire and the drinks. It started with a small mention, Sirius listing another detail of what Azkaban was like, before it soon turned into Sirius ranting about some of his more memorable times in the prison when it wasn't all one long emotionless blur. Harry took it all in stride and let Sirius speak long into the night, offering positive reinforcement along with reminders that he was no longer in that place.

When Sirius had calmed down, and Dobby had let the fire burn low as a subtle reminder that his Master should be sleeping, Harry placed a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder as he passed on his way to bed. "You have a place here now, Sirius, with family. Don't let the memories take you away from here. Dobby has a supply of some mild Sleeping Draughts but if you need anything stronger just to get through a few nights then don't hesitate."

Sirius nodded and gave Harry a short hug, silently amazed at the maturity of the young man before him. Their roles should be reversed, he thought to himself, but Sirius knew he wasn't ready for that "Thank you. The one positive of Dobby stuffing me full of food and making me work out a lot is that I'm usually too tired to say no to a good night's sleep. I'll have the occasional nightmare but Balto here has been keeping me company when I can't sleep"

At the sound of his name Balto picked himself up from the floor where he had been dozing in front of the fire, and followed Sirius from the room. Dobby could be seen dusting off a vase in the entryway, but keeping a close eye on all the house's residents, even, or even especially, the furry ones. Harry smiled softly. Sirius was in good hands.

***End Flashback***

A knock at the door pulled Harry from his recollections, and he shoved them back into the recesses of his mind. He spared a glance around the small dorm-like room he had been assigned. It was sparse, in the beginning, hardly more than a bed and desk and a conjured mirror, but it still somehow managed to bleed the same opulence as the rest of the compact campus. The bed had already been flopped into more than once as Harry was setting up the room, with Harry thoroughly enjoying the Cushioning Charms spelled into the duvet and mattress. Harry had always thought that the Expansion Charms on Hogwarts were impressive but Beauxbatons turned it into an art. A simple Chateau, impressive and beautiful in design, yet absolutely massive inside. He had taken the liberty to expand the room an extra meter both ways and used the extra space to set up some of his equipment, for appearances more than a need to empty his spacious Inventory.

Harry spared one more glance into his mirror, straightened the lines on his new pale blue uniform, and opened the door. Confusion set in quickly when he realized he was staring at someone's ribcage before Harry realized this could be only one person and glanced up into the face of Madam Maxine.

"Good evening Headmistress," Harry, easily slipping into French, said in greeting before stepping into the hallway once she stepped aside. It hadn't occurred to him that a small part of why the halls and certain doors were so massive were to accommodate the half-giantess headmistress.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Potter. You are settling in well, yes?" Olympe gestured down the hall towards the same door Harry had come into the dorms with, a door that led out into a sizable breezeway, one of many in the French school.

"Of course, your hospitality is most appreciated and your school has impressed at every level I've seen thus far" A little flattery, thought Harry, was never bad when trying to establish amicable impressions with someone.

Olympe smiled and a flash of pride went through her eyes as she looked around the courtyard they entered, the smell of fresh flowers and a faint bit of water from the fountain sparkling in the mid-morning sun. "I do love this school. I've been to Hogwarts of course, Ilvermorny and Durmstrang as well a few years ago, all respectable and beautiful in their own ways, but Beauxbatons will always have my heart"

Harry nodded in understanding, and followed the woman into the large Entrance Hall. This massive two story room was the predominant way to get around the school, hosting the entrances to the East and West Wings which held all of the classes, and the North Wing which held the dorms, Library, kitchens, and mess hall. Harry had initially thought that things were a little packed compared to Hogwarts but also felt there was a degree of sense in how it was all laid out so he took a 'to each their own' approach to it. He wouldn't miss mad dashes from the 7th Floor to the grounds for certain classes.

Madam Maxine pointed out a few things as they walked, mostly notable landmarks and helpful tips on navigating his few weeks here, before they made it to her office at the end of the bottom floor of the North Wing, having circled around the fountain during her tour, near their Infirmary. Luckily for Harry it was a simple formality of officially welcoming him to Beauxbatons and handing him his schedule, which would officially begin tomorrow. This left Harry with a bit of free time to go exploring.

***Break***

The first thing Harry noticed as he wandered around in the school was something he was actually pleasantly surprised at. Very few seemed to know who he was. Ever since being introduced to the magical world one of the first things that Harry lost was a sense of privacy. Here though, with a bit of anonymity courtesy of his red hair, Harry was free to wander without glances or whispers beyond `Hey who is that new kid, is that the exchange student?' that some of the upper years mentioned as he passed. Though he did hear one mention of his Iron Mage title so someone was at least paying attention to foreign news. His name was at least known but it sounded like that didn't get mentioned beforehand.

Looking for an opportunity to clear his head and organize his thoughts, Harry stepped out of the large doors that were the entrance of Beauxbatons and took his first real look at the grounds. He had passed through the area quickly alongside the Headmistress this morning when he arrived via Portkey. Like everything else so far at the school the designs were made with one simple word in mind. Beauty. If Harry were to compare the two Hogwarts was more majestic, while Beauxbatons was refined. The grass was cleanly cut, hedges perfectly trimmed, the fountains clean and shining.

Without a clear destination in mind Harry wandered towards the largest of the fountains, the Flamel fountain he noticed once the historical plaque came into range. Much of the school had actually received funding from the renowned Alchemist and despite the man's inventions causing Harry much hardship in his first year Harry couldn't help but feel bad that the result of that had been the eventual death of the Flamel family as the last of the Elixir of Life ran out. Harry noticed that the fountain actually was much like the one in the Ministry of Magic and collected donations for the magical hospital in France. Harry idly dropped a few Galleons in, watching in fascination as the statue smiled before waving its hand and the gold coins vanishing from the water, as he passed the fountain and continued his exploration.

In the distance, though not as far as Hogwarts, Harry saw what he was sure was a Quidditch Pitch and headed that way out of both habit and curiosity. The walk itself only took a few minutes and Harry checked his watch to see that it was around 5 PM. Class had let out about 30 minutes ago so he hoped that no one would be over here.

Stepping through the archway that led onto the field Harry grinned at his luck. Empty. A wave of his hand brought his Firebolt to bear and Harry whipped through a few stunts before settling into a lazy glide to watch the way the sun was beginning to turn the sky into an array of colors. Being in the air would always remain one of his favorite things in life, worries being left behind on the ground while he enjoyed the breeze. A voice from below interrupted his musings.

Broom Handling Skill increased! It is now 56!

"Excuse me! We have the field today!" A voice called out below Harry and he looked down to see a group of students. Deciding that playing it easy his first day here would be best Harry waved and dropped like a stone, snapping out of his dive at the last moment and landing before the group. Out of habit he willed the Firebolt into his Inventory.

"My apologies" Harry said politely in French and held a hand out to the tall blonde he was sure was the one who called out to him. "Harry Potter, pleased to make your acquaintance"

A few of the team members got wide eyed at his name but the blonde was however eyeing Harry up and down shrewdly, clearly not really listening, noting immediately how athletic Harry's build was "You're the exchange student right? From Hogwarts? The Headmistress mentioned you at dinner last night. I thought you'd be shorter"

Harry shrugged mentally and dropped his hand, "Yeah. First day here, saw an opportunity to get a few laps in but I'll get out of your way"

Harry nodded to the rest of the team, guessing at a few of the player's positions with accuracy. He had just turned around to begin walking back to the school when the blonde spoke again. "What position do you play?"

"Seeker" Harry said over his shoulder, still walking and missing Algie's calculating gaze.

"Any good?" The boy called again, in an almost taunting tone.

Harry stopped and turned around. "I'm decent, why?"

The captain nodded to a couple of his players, Beaters by the look of them Harry guessed, and then walked up to Harry with his hand outstretched. "I'm Algernon, but everyone calls me Algie. You said your name was Harry right?"

Harry shook Algie's hand and nodded his head, letting Algie continue. "Do you have some time? We are about to start practice but our Seeker is… Well, she's got potential but is still very new. I could tell with that dive you pulled off that you know your way around a broom. Maybe you can do a few Seeker duels with her? Help her gain some confidence?"

Harry glanced at the group of players, who were helping the Beaters open the box of Quidditch balls, and spotted a female player standing a ways away from the Chasers and Beaters. She was small, but the hint of leg Harry could see was well toned. Like him, when he didn't have his contacts like he did now, she wore glasses and her brunette hair was done up in a simple ponytail.

"Her?" Harry gestured toward the girl, to which Algie nodded, and walked up to her. She was in the process of cleaning her glasses but put them on and looked up when Harry's shoes came into her vision.

'Wow…' Harry thought to himself when she looked up. She had by far the bluest eyes he had ever seen, easily matching the intensity of his own green.

The girl looked a bit startled though when an unfamiliar face came into focus after she had secured her glasses. She gave Harry an even stare as she looked him up and down, but when she looked up to see Harry grinning she turned her head and blushed. Ever the gentleman, Harry took a small bow and apologized which the girl waved off calmly.

"I was only half listening. Who is this Algie?" Her voice was almost as pretty as her eyes Harry thought to himself before remembering to focus.

"The exchange student. Harry. Apparently he plays Seeker across the channel" Algernon walked up as well after giving some simple drills to the rest of the team, and threw an arm over the girl's shoulder. "And this, Harry, is my little sister Clarissa so don't get any funny ideas"

Clarissa, clearly put off by her brother's antics, shot an elbow into Algernon's ribs. She gave him a frustrated look that just made Algernon more determined to play at protective big brother.

Fighting back a wheeze Algernon shot back "Those elbows need to be checked for weapons. I think I'm bleeding"

"It's not your time of the month yet. Hi. I'm Clarissa" She spun in place and her hand shot out towards Harry.

Harry looked at the small hand extended toward him, eyeing the fingernails critically and internally nodding when he noticed she kept them short, then took it with a smile. "I'm not going to get jabbed too am I?"

"Only if you misbehave," She said with a smile of her own, decidedly more threatening.

***Break***

She was fast. It was part of why Algie had recruited her at the start of her 3rd year. She also had above average reflexes, which has let her dominate the Fencing classes the last couple of years. Too many signs of a quality Seeker to ignore, he said. But Harry was something else entirely. Some would say it would be a good idea to let the girl win. Harry was not even considering it.

After discussing the thought of Harry being her practice partner Algie had agreed to Harry's request that they do a small pickup game with Harry taking the reserve players for some full team practice both to prove his own abilities and test Clarissa's. The reserve team had one less Chaser yet Harry more than made up for it with his playstyle. He aggressively harassed the opposing team by body blocking passes, cutting off evasive maneuvers, and forcing more than one player to veer off to a less favorable position to avoid Bludgers. This resulted in more opportunities for his 2 Chasers to take shots. Naturally this resulted in more scoring.

In the span of 20 minutes, Harry's red hair became a thing to avoid for the enemy team and Harry was able to disrupt plays just by coming nearby them. Clarissa groaned as she scanned desperately for the Snitch, not trying to attempt the same tactics as Harry since she had never considered that style or had any practice with it. But the reserves were at 130 already, while her team which should be arguably better was sitting at a measly 80. She had thought this would be a simple pick up game with Harry trying to mansplain basic Quidditch to her like their old reserve Chaser did before Algie kicked him off the team.

Now she knew he had been completely serious, spotting the grinning blur as he caught the beater bat that her reserve teammate dropped, flipped and reversed direction in less than a second, smacked the Bludger that had been about to prevent the reserve chaser from scoring and forcing the Keeper to dodge away letting another score through. The Beater who dropped the bat accepted it back with the smallest of thank yous and a wide eyed stare. Clarissa could respect that Harry wasn't holding back, but she still wanted to win and resumed scanning with an increased determination.

Seeker Skill increased! It is now 52!

Chaser Skill increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon Available!

Keeper Skill increased! It is now 10!

Beater Skill increased! It is now 10!

Algernon to his credit looked like he was having the time of his life despite getting thrashed. But that knucklehead just really loved Quidditch. As Captain, Algernon was happy to have his team tested to this degree, and knowing no matter the outcome his teammates were likely to come out of this with at least one thing they learned. The Captain spotted his Seeker staring off after the redhead that had just flown through the hoop, grabbing the top of the hoop with both hands and swinging through the sharpest of turns to avoid a Bludger, the small angry ball bouncing angrily off of the post and switching to the more readily available Keeper once again.

"Get your head in the game!" Algernon called out to Clarissa, who turned to see him gesticulating wildly towards where Harry was. She cursed and shot off, her Thunderbolt VII being pushed to its absolute limit as she was determined to hound him at the very least. While technically faster than a Firebolt, she had already had regrets about buying it after seeing the way that Harry's handled turns so much better. Speed wasn't everything it seemed, and her broom gave an angry shake in agreement.

Clarissa had managed to close the gap to 6 meters before Harry's hand closed around the Snitch, her determined eyes had not once left the small golden orb once it had appeared near Harry who had immediately hit a breakneck turn that had her broom shaking in extreme protest, knowing that there was no chance but never giving up, and she started to brake as the game came to an end. Or tried to. Her broom gave an even harder shake than before, ignoring her every command.

"It won't stop!" She screamed as the wall of the pitch came closer and yanked her broom up as hard as she could. Thankfully it listened for just a moment and she was able to barely make it past the stands without injury. She cursed, and fighting the broom every step of the way took a lap around the Pitch.

Algernon and the rest of the team struggled to catch up to her but the broom wasn't slowing down, indeed it was speeding up slightly. Her plan was working as she didn't have to dodge any walls, but already her arms were feeling the strain of trying to maintain her turn at max speed. She carefully removed one hand and shook it to try and get some feeling back after her death grip, switching to the other hand just as carefully.

Harry saw what was happening and knew that it was only a matter of time before the broom stopped listening completely. He drew his wand from the Hotbar and sped up, outpacing the team in seconds as he approached from an angle to cut her off. He took careful aim, and swiped his wand.

"Diffindo"

Somehow, through the calls of her teammates, Clarissa was able to hear the calm spell. Immediately she felt a small jolt as her broom slowed down suddenly, the sudden motion occurring just as she was switching hands again. Clarissa cursed much louder this time and flipped over the front end of the broom thankfully managing to keep her grip with her one hand. Turning became impossible though from this position.

"Let go" Harry's voice came from just under her and she looked down to see him guiding the Firebolt with just his knees and his arms stretched up to her. He had matched her pace perfectly, the Firebolt up to the task now that Harry had trimmed off some of the bristles that provided speed. They both glanced to see Beauxbatons approaching at a far too fast rate and Clarissa knew she had to act now but her hand wouldn't let go of the broom.

Lamenting her dilemma of ending up a gory mural on the wall of her school with the wall barely 10 meters away she didn't notice Harry speed up as he flicked his wand once again. Three more bristles fell off the back end of her broom and the sudden decrease in speed made her lose her grip. Harry sent his wand away and spun the broom around to face away from the wall. With a single arm he caught her around the waist, pulled her onto his broom and used the reversed direction to slow down as much as he could before they hit the wall.

"We're gonna crash!" Clarissa could see the wall of the school getting closer and closer.

"Hold this" was all the warning she got before the Firebolt was somehow pulled from beneath them and thrust into her hands while Harry's now free hand shot out behind them. He had only just learned to do this but he made three quick flourishes of his hand while gathering his Magic carefully like he did in the dungeon to boost his spells then intoned "Ventus Maxima"

An absolutely massive volume of air blasted from Harry's hand and Clarissa could swear that the air around them seemed to spark from the magic. She glanced at the boy and she stared in amazement at his eyes glowing brightly before she yelped and switched her focus back on the broom and the wall that was mere meters away when he suddenly and inexplicably kicked up, using the Firebolt as leverage and went horizontal in the air.

The blast of air that preceded them knocked out the windows near their soon to be crash site but she was amazed when it slowed them down just enough to a less fatal speed, and this amazement turned to astonishment when Harry landed horizontally, taking the broom from her and switching the hold he had on her to a bridal carry by moving his arms below her, and gripping firmly but with care.

She felt the pressure of the landing that Harry had taken fully onto himself, but the wall jiggled as though made of rubber and his arms followed her movements for a moment and fought her momentum enough to avoid any injuries on her part. Harry grunted from the effort but he proved up to the task. Waiting just long enough for their momentum to end, Harry slipped out of his shoes that he had stuck to the wall by willing them into his Inventory and with the assistance of gravity they plummeted downward. Clarissa let loose a gasp and looked around in desperation when she realized their broom must have fallen but suddenly Harry was holding it again. He maneuvered it under them, seating Clarissa side saddle and maintaining a tight grip around her waist.

They landed at almost the same time that the rest of the team caught up and landed around them. Harry politely set her back down but his arm stayed around her waist and didn't move until she had proven she could stand. Clarissa ignored the brief thought that she missed that hand once it had left and instead wondered where the broom had gone once again while letting herself be hugged by her brother and the team, a few of them breaking off to shake Harry's hand and make sure he was okay as well.

"What the hell was that Clari? Are you okay?" Algie had even switched to the nickname she had expressly forbidden him from using at school, so she knew he had been as worried as he'd ever been.

"I don't know. The Braking Charm gave out once I topped out on speed. I couldn't stop" Clarissa's voice broke and she let out a small hiccup once the emotions had finally caught up with her which made her brother step back to give her some air. The rest of the team followed suit but a couple of the girls on the team stayed close with Clarissa sending them grateful looks.

"We thought for sure when you flipped that you were going to end up dead. Thank you Harry" Algernon took Harry's hand and shook it fiercely.

"Don't thank me. That flip was my fault. I had no other way to slow her down than to cut some bristles off the end. My aim is pretty good but I still missed, and cut off more at once than planned. I wanted to do it in bits but with the school in the way…" Harry shrugged and trailed off, meeting Clarissa's eyes once more.

"What is all of this?!" Madam Maxine's steps could now be heard from the now open windows above them. "Who smashed these windows?!"

"Sorry Madam Maxine!" Harry called out from below and her large head appeared outside one of the windows. "Take a step back and I'll fix it! I have to undo the Cushioning Charm!"

"Cushioning Charm? What on…" Her response was cut off both by her acquiescing to Harry's request and when Harry's wand appeared in his hand. After a sweeping wave of the wand the windows pieced themselves back together and the wall that was still shuddering from the force of their landing became solid once again. Shortly after Harry's shoes appeared on his feet somehow.

"You're really good at Magic, eh Harry?" Algernon regarded Harry with a thankful grin, "You must be top of the 5th year class at Hogwarts"

Harry stared back inquisitively, "I'm a 3rd Year, like your sister"

Clarissa gaped for a second and then internally celebrated. She, like her brother, had taken in Harry's tall frame and had assumed he was much older. She gave the boy a shy grin that was returned easily by Harry.

Algernon looked between the two and caught Harry's eyes starting to trail down. "Oh no you don't. Come on, let's put the equipment away"

Harry glanced over his shoulder at the brunette that was being led away by a few members of the team with the rest following the captain, "I'll see you in class, Clarissa!"

Clarissa could only giggle as she heard Algernon groan in frustration.

***Break***

"I still want to know how you did that. You had to have been going at least 40 kilometers an hour" said Algernon, who Harry was quickly coming to realize was almost exactly like Ron and Oliver fused. His first hint was the Quidditch obsession, then the protective brotherly attitude, but now seeing the boy talk around what anyone else would consider two bites of food Harry couldn't shake the resemblance.

Clarissa waited next to her brother for him to swallow before she jabbed him in the side. "Gross. Don't talk with your mouth full."

Harry chuckled at their familiar antics and finally set his cutlery down, having been able to finish his food while Algie had ranted and raved about the practice with his team who were a lot more talkative at the dinner table. He had immediately asked Harry when the next time he could join them on the Pitch was but was nonplussed at Harry's noncommittal attitude. That was forgiven once Harry explained that he was only going to be at the school for a month and didn't know how he was going to use his free time yet. The surprisingly only redhead at their table glanced up and down the seats, observing some of the interactions around him.

The Beaters, a tall lanky boy and a short stocky girl, were a couple who clearly didn't mind public displays of affection. Patricia, Harry had learned all of their names after practice, had practically crawled into Matthew's lap at this point as they took turns feeding each other to the annoyance of those around them. The reserve Beaters were Charles and Leon, two goofy jocks who were further up the table talking it up with some girls who feigned interest admirably.

The starting Chasers, the other siblings of the team, Henri and Jules were deep in a discussion about the holes in their defense that Harry had exploited and this conversation had pulled Algernon's attention as a fellow Chaser enough to let Harry eat in peace. They were 2 years apart, with Jules being the older, but the younger brother had apparently quickly surpassed his sister in height.

The Keepers, starter Paul and reserve Claude, were drawing up some of the patterns that their Chasers had used and coming up with some strategies on how to use some of that in their games. They were the intellectual athletes, using strategies and careful positioning to win the game over general athleticism. Their slight builds reflected this but Harry saw firsthand how effective they were which is why he had focused so many of the disruptions on them. They had already thanked him for showing the hole in their methods and agreed to bulk up and practice more of the practical skills Keepers were known for.

This had left the two reserve Chasers Aimee and Vivienne on either side of Harry, where they had tried their best to talk with the cute boy who had pulled off some impressive stunts on and off the field. Harry had learned that Aimee was going to be in a few of his classes along with Clarissa, a fact that he lamented because both of them were attractive in their own right. Harry coughed and covered a blush by taking a long sip of his tea when Vivienne pushed up against his arm, emphasizing the more than impressive assets her school uniform was desperately holding back and shooting him a coy grin that clearly stated her intentions to not be left out of the running despite being a couple Years above them. She completely ignored the daggers Clarissa and Aimee were shooting her whenever Harry wasn't looking. Those buttons had to be charmed or something Harry thought in amazement.

"It was mostly the Firebolt. I used a Cushioning Charm on the wall to make it less likely to break something, and a Sticking Charm on my shoes to make sure I didn't bounce off. The Ventus was just to take the edge off our speed" Harry said after finally realizing Algie was trying to talk to him. Harry grasped on the attempt like it was a lifeline and focused all of his attention on the tall blonde. This was torture with the pent up hormones the last week had caused him.

"You say that as though it wasn't completely insane. You saved my sister but it's still almost unbelievable that you didn't break something besides a few windows. They feed the Quidditch players something special across the channel?" Algernon took three bites in the split second he stopped talking, making Harry picture him with red hair and bury a chuckle before responding. That helped him ease the tension he was feeling just a bit, but that immediately came back full force when Aimee sidled up closer in an attempt to match Vivienne's advances and he caught a small hint of strawberries in the air as her curly hair brushed against his shoulder. He'd have a lot of uhhh… thinking to do later.

"We have a Captain in Gryffindor that's very particular about our exercises, especially the legs since that's where you get your primary turning power. I also swim and dance if that helps explain. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt but it certainly wasn't the worst I've experienced and I'm fairly sturdy. Nothing broken at least" Harry ignored the stares of admiration from his sides and instead tapped the table twice, switching his plate out for a dessert plate in an effort to distract himself.

The enchantments on Beauxbatons Great Hall were less of a community feast like Hogwarts and instead more of a formal dinner party. The tables were thinner and there weren't Houses so instead of four long tables there were around twenty shorter ones. This made less space for food, but a more intimate social atmosphere, and there was a complex Switching Spell at work that switched your plates out.

One tap changed your plate to a different meal, with Harry trying some of the local cuisine over more familiar dishes, and two taps let the kitchen know you were ready for dessert plates. He spent a moment tapping through the options before settling on a crème brulée that still had the sugar sizzling and looked too good to pass up. This had only bought him a few seconds so Harry decided to wait for it to cool. The girls by his side were luckily drawn to their own food but quickly resumed teasing the young Lord by offering a bite of their own unique desserts.

Harry declined and looked up at Clarissa, who was fighting back a giggle at his expression that screamed help me. "You weren't hurt were you? I just realized I never asked, I'm sorry"

Clarissa decided to take pity on him and give him an out. "The only thing that got hurt was my pride. You're really quite good at Seeking. 300 points will be hard to match on the school's Cleansweeps, even if we just got a set of new 8s that an alumni donated"

"I'm sorry about that. I wanted to Summon your broom but I ran out of hands" Harry scratched his head in embarrassment while Clarissa waved away the concern. The broom had been caught in a headwind shortly after she had let it go and somehow managed to survive the encounter with a crash landing on the roof. It and all of its broken bristles had been returned to Clarissa by Harry on his way back to the school.

"I can make do. After seeing how the Firebolt handled, I can use this to hopefully get a better turning broom. I thought the speed of the Thunderbolt was impressive but it is decidedly less so if you can't turn it off" She gave an awkward chuckle at her own joke. She was taking pity on him but she was still nervous talking to him. Normally Algie chased away any potential suitors, much to her annoyance, but her brother seemed to be laying off Harry after learning the boy would be leaving in a month and likely wasn't worth worrying about long term.

"I can lend you one of my 2001's if you'd like. It's not much better than the Cleansweep 8 but it's got a very good braking system. You can use it until your replacement comes in" Harry smiled at her and was happy to receive one in return. Their eyes locked in that moment and she stared a moment longer than necessary. She knew this, but her mind was lost in thought about how someone could be so impressive on the field, casually cast Wandless Silent Magic to save her life with split second decision making, and still turn into a blushing mess around a girl. It only made him cuter in her eyes.

"I may have to take you up on that Harry" Harry was confused when Algie's voice came out of Clarissa but realized that the Captain had merely spoken up from the side, shattering the small moment they were having.

"You'll take him up on that? I'm the one riding it" Clarissa huffed, breaking their eye contact. "Thank you Harry, that's very nice of you but I wouldn't want to impose"

"No imposition. I have my Firebolt'' Harry shrugged and turned to regard Aimee next to him, viewing her as the safest option to talk to after he too had gotten lost in a pair of eyes for a moment too long. She had been trying to get his attention all night so far anyways so he felt it rude to ignore her completely. They talked a bit about classes and Aimee revealed a shy side now that she had the redhead's undivided attention for a moment. It amazed Harry that this was the same girl that had thrown the Quaffle with the sharpest curve he had seen outside of professional play. They kept the conversation completely civil but Harry still sighed internally and counted down the last few minutes before he could break away.

The conversation continued around the table and Vivienne eventually got the hint to leave Harry alone. Clarissa regarded Harry's refusal to give in to the attempts of the girl at his side and viewed him critically. Vivienne prided herself on being able to fluster any guy she wanted, and Clarissa would be lying if she didn't enjoy seeing the 5th Year being so ably ignored. But it made her wonder why he was doing that. As an exchange student he had the unique advantage of being new and interesting in a school dominated by females with an easy out of being able to leave in a month or so. Maybe he had his eye on someone else, or worse had someone back home? She knew she wasn't getting answers right now so she put it to the back of her mind.

***Break***

"And then Madam Maxine right let me off with a warning since I cleaned up" Harry smiled throughout his story, a fact that was not missed by Astoria even though she had barely looked up from painting her toes. He had noticed his mirror chirping as soon as he opened the door, making Clarissa who was staying further down the hall look at him strangely before he was able to enter and close the door. Harry had already filled Astoria in on many of the things that had happened on his first day.

"You're there one day and you're already the hero to a cute girl" Astoria's cheshire grin made Harry groan and cast a few Wards on his door, in case any curious parties were listening. He layered it with an Alarm Hex he had recently learned and was pleasantly surprised to hear a Notification.

Warding Skill increased! It is now 19!

"I didn't say she was cute" Harry picked up the mirror as he said this and fell back onto his bed, catching the mirror with a lazy Levitation Charm as he fell and suspending it above him. He wished silently that he had the Dueling Room available to let out some of the energy the day had given him, but his Portkeys were intended for small distances. He had a one time use one but it was sitting in the Headmistress's office for when it was time to leave.

"You also didn't not say she was cute" Astoria grinned mischievously "And you talked about her almost more than anyone else. Should I tell Daphne to be worried, or do you want to?"

"Shut up. Shouldn't you be doing homework or something?" Harry dodged the question with little subtlety and they spoke a bit about Astoria's day. She eventually ended the connection, and Harry set the mirror on his bedside. It had been a pretty good day, craziness excluded. He got up to start a bit more Weight Training when his mirror chirped once then went quiet before he could figure out who had tried to contact him. He shrugged and almost put it out of his mind as perhaps Astoria accidentally hitting the rune while getting ready when it happened again.

***Break***

Hermione sighed and set the mirror back on the bed. She wanted to talk with Harry, but also didn't want to talk with Harry. She had avoided him after the incident in the Library and though she had stared at the mirror repeatedly since she still couldn't commit. Worry wormed its way through her gut knowing that the more she put it off the more of a wedge it could drive between them. What ifs had paraded through her minds the last week whenever she wasn't focused on school work which blessedly was most of the time but moments like this where she was in bed having completed all of her allotted work for the week were the worst. Another sigh escaped her lips and Hermione rolled over to turn off her bedside lamp, hoping that Harry had been away from his mirror.

*Fin*

Thanks all, and I hope you enjoyed! Gonna start working on the next chapters but wanted to get something posted!

'Til next time!