Harry Potter Breaking Free

Fleur adopted a very pleased smile on her face, as she raised her arms towards the sky to stretch her back like a cat. "I understand exactly how you feel, 'Arry... Up until recently, I was finding your presence extremely tiring. Your magical power is very strong and it makes mine respond in strange and unexpected ways. I've been having a lot of trouble restraining my allure as it seems to want to pool around your body with a will of its own. Well, no longer... Now it will be you that has to fight the demands of your body. It'll be interesting to find out whether or not you're really a gentleman, 'Arry..."

Even as he nodded his head at Fleur's mixed explanation and challenge, Harry continued to bolster his self-control using his newfound Occlumency skills. He could already see that being completely swamped with Fleur's allure was going to be the norm from now on, and that it was going to take a lot of getting used to on his part.

At exactly the same time, Harry walked back over to the lounge chair, where he started unclasping his new Birkenstock sandals.

A movement that didn't go unnoticed by Harry's current charge…

At the speed of a bullet, Gabrielle bounced up the poolside ladder, and sprinted across the pool deck so that she could glomp Harry's side possessively. "Are you finally going to go swimming with me, 'Arry?" By this point, Gabrielle was adopting a pitiful little pleading voice while piling on the cuteness like a damned avalanche.

Of course, Harry could only nod in complete surrender as he rose back up to his feet, and then started pulling his t-shirt over his head.

"So pretty," Harry heard from a young voice from just a few feet to his right." Fleur had been right, after all. It didn't appear Gabby understood what it was she was actually looking at. "Your skin looks like a painting, 'Arry," she called out, in her enthusiasm."

"Yes," replied Fleur, in a teasing purr. "He is rather striking isn't he…"

And just like that, Harry found himself blushing again, but this time it wasn't because of Fleur's looks or allure… Instead, it was in response to the way that her eyes were scanning every last inch of his still growing body… Drawing in yet another very deep breath, Harry wrestled his body back under control (again), turned his full attention back towards the Delacour sisters, and then moved to give his new friend some assurances. "Fleur... Over the last few weeks, I decided I want to become more like your father. You know, like… a gentleman, a real one, with class and composure and maybe even some sophistication… I have no intention of letting your allure make me any less..."

Over the next couple of seconds, a very complex looking smile bloomed across Fleur's whole entire face. While at first it was both warm and genuine as she loved her father very much, it soon became noticeably mischievous and predatory instead... "We shall see then, 'Arry."

With a small but amused shake of his head, Harry turned towards the pool, approached the ladder and dipped his toes into the sun-warmed water. He was just about to enter the pool, when he was suddenly blasted from behind by a tidal-wave of allure so overwhelming he immediately stumbled forward, fell and clumsily splashed into the water.

For several different reasons, Harry took his time returning to the surface. The water was cool and refreshing and it was helping him regain control of his overheating body. When he did finally resurface, he looked back up at the pool deck only to see Fleur grinning smugly down at him.

With a scream of unbridled enthusiasm, Gabrielle leapt into the water next, and she was hanging off of Harry's shoulders a single heartbeat later. As per the norm, she was also throwing around her steadily growing allure, allowing Harry to see the direction that his summer was going.

He was doomed to hide behind his Occlusion barriers for the remainder of his vacation...

Truth be told, Harry was actually quite pleased that Fleur was beginning to relax her restraints around him. Appoline had explained that it was a sign of trust, and Harry was determined to take it as such. Oh sure, Fleur was currently couching these changes behind a battle of wills of some kind, but her words and intentions were usually a little bit (a lot) out of sync.

After grabbing a hold of the little girl snuggling into his back, Harry gave her a hearty toss across the pool. She squealed in delight and doggy-paddled back, eager to repeat the act. As Harry played with Gabby, he took in the rest of the pool, and decided it was about time he figure out his front crawl. The best he'd ever been able to accomplish was an advanced version of the same doggy-paddle Gabrielle was currently using, and considering how seldom he'd ever been to the pool, he was actually quite pleased with even that level of skill.

Gabby screamed her happiness as Harry threw her again, but this time she splashed into a vast pile of pool noodles that had her undivided attention just a single moment later.

While enjoying this momentary reprieve, Harry caught sight of Fleur approaching the deep end of the pool in his peripheral vision, and he watched her pad atop a diving board at its center. Then, when the woman very gracefully dove into the water, he found himself rolling his eyes. Maybe grace is inherent in all adult Veela and they're incapable of being otherwise? Harry didn't know. All he did know was that Fleur was swimming a picture perfect front crawl in his direction….

"I have trouble seeing any weakness in your swimming," Harry noted, when Fleur rose to her feet in the shallower water.

"It's not swimming that's the problem, 'Arry. My Veela nature does not agree with water. The more I grew into my magical heritage the less comfortable I felt while submerged. While my physical strength is decreased only a little, my magic is very difficult to channel in here. Currently, I am barely able to perform a Lumos while submerged under water."

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