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Cupid ch.4
🕑 Added 2023-04-23 00:41:31 +0000 UTCSitting in his chair was a woman who jumped to her feet. Her expression went wide and happy before she frowned deeply. "Who are you! You shouldn't be here!" She snapped.
Harry blinked as she berated him. She wore a wool cardigan over a blue top and tight leather jeans that left little to the imagination. Even as her silver hair showed that she wasn't the young woman she once was, she moved quickly and easily around the desk, continuing to berate Harry as she did.
"Did you know Sirius?" Harry asked as the woman caught her breath.
The woman froze before her lip quivered. She reached out for a moment, as if she wanted to touch him, but pulled back. "I-I'm terribly sorry," she sniffled, and her eyes started to water. "I didn't realize-" She circled Harry and quickly headed for the exit. She staggered slightly, and her shoulders began to shake. Rushing to her, Harry quickly took her by the arms and turned her around, pulling her into a hug.
"My uncle must have meant something special to you, huh?"
She trembled for a moment before she sighed and took a step back. Her eyes were still red, but she held herself proudly as she looked Harry in the eyes. "He was my friend. And...now he's gone."
Harry smiled sadly at her. "The funeral is the day after tomorrow. I'll let Baal know to invite everyone if they want to come."
She blinked, and a few more tears trickled down her cheeks. "You're his heir, right? The one he adopted by blood?"
"I am, yes."
She leaned forward and pecked his lips lightly before straightening up. "Thank you. See you at the funeral.”
This time he watched her go, not looking like she was about to fall over. When she disappeared, Baal appeared, walking inside.
"Do you live here or something?" Harry asked with a grimace.
"Yup," Baal smiled back.
Harry furrowed his brow, then shrugged, "Fair enough. Where am I staying today?"
"Your uncle's private apartment," Baal gestured the way.
It was a part of the main office, in the back. Harry had never been here before, always staying in one of the cottages at the back of the resort with Ron's family. Or in a single room when he was older. Baal left him at the door with a key, and Harry let himself in. Whoever cleaned up left a note on the table with the keys, along with a few watermarks as if they were crying when they wrote it. Harry felt better about his decision to invite the entire staff.
Looking around the apartment, it was like any other, though much larger than the one Harry lived in. The kitchen was big and modern. There was even a separate living room and dining room. The bathroom had a shower and a spa, with the toilet in a separate room. There was one guest room, which was almost the same size as the living room. Dominating it was a large, comfortable-looking bed in the middle of the room, which was just perfect. So after taking another quick shower, Harry crawled into the big bed and closed his eyes.
The next day was a blur. Harry woke up early and, after giving instructions to Baal to call anyone who might be interested in participating, got to work. The morning started with the lawnmower. Harry was glad it was a self-propelled lawnmower. In some places, the resort had an open plan, and pushing the lawnmower all the time would be tiring. Starting from the entrance gate, he cleared all the grass from the front of the resort and headed back. Before noon, Arthur joined him. They couldn't use magic here, as it was open to Muggles. Showing up shirtless with hedge clippers, he got to work on the bushes. Harry didn't think about being shirtless until he noticed Molly watching him from inside. They worked hard all day. Molly regularly brought them drinks, and they only stopped once for lunch, which was delivered to the perimeter to avoid trampling anything inside.
It goes without saying that when the sun finally set under the trees, the Artur and Harry duo was tired, sore, but very satisfied with their results. After consuming another peaceful meal and a hot shower, Harry headed back to his apartment. Opening the door, he heard soft music and smelled roses. Blinking, he looked around and saw a massage table set up in the middle of the living room.
"Hello?" Harry called out.
"Oh!" a voice replied. The bedroom door opened, and the woman from the previous day emerged. She was wearing a similar tight outfit as yesterday, only without the cardigan. "Oh good, I was worried you wouldn't come."
Harry smiled, still a little disoriented, "Well, I'm here and... I don't want to be rude, but..."
"Baal asked me to come," she smiled, now looking nervous herself. "I... was... working with your uncle," she paused for a few breaths. "I'm Fleur, I had to leave quickly yesterday. Baal let me know it was you who took care of Mrs. Malfoy and gave her a refund. So when he said you were doing some earthworks, I remembered Sirius always had that-"
"Fleur," Harry cut her off. She was speaking so quickly that he was losing track. "After today, I won't say no to a massage from you. But you need to relax," he smiled at the nervous older woman. "And now, how's the hand?"
Fleur smiled back - "Seems okay. I caught it in the door yesterday and couldn't bend it. The doctor said it was swollen and wanted to leave it until today for an x-ray. When I came in today, it felt good, so... here I am!" Harry nodded, "Okay... I took a shower before dinner, have you eaten yet?"
Her face fell for a moment, "Ummm..." "Want to order pizza, I promise not to complain about you getting greasy pizza all over me," he grinned. Fleur chuckled before blinking back tears. "I'm sorry. Your uncle used to make jokes like that. I miss him."
Harry sighed and approached her, giving her a quick hug. Only this time, the scent of her skin and the warmth of her body gave him something else to think about. Clearing his throat and straightening his shirt, Harry smiled to hide the half-chub in his pants. "Okay, what pizza do you want?"
Fleur smiled and wiped her eyes, "Meatlovers." Harry grinned and pulled out his phone, "This one's too easy."
Fleur made a very un-ladylike snort before they both burst out laughing. As they made their way to the living room, Fleur took a seat on the couch and propped her feet up. Harry went to check the small fridge. Inside was bottled water, various jars of things, some beer, and a bottle of wine. Pulling it out, he checked the label.
"I'll have one," called Fleur.
With a shrug, Harry searched the cabinets until he found a bottle opener and a few glasses. Then he began to pour. His knowledge of wine went towards "red or white," and this was definitely red. He knew enough to pour at least and brought a glass to Fleur, who accepted it with a smile.
"I love this brand," she smiled, "Sirius and I used to have a glass each after a long day."
Harry nodded, quickly realizing how close their friendship must have been. But it wasn't the time to talk about it now. "So how long have you been working here?"
Fleur took a sip and leaned back on the couch. "Started a few years ago. After your last departure," she smiled sadly. "I came in for an interview. He wanted me to massage him to make sure I had what it takes. Then he made me laugh."
Harry took a sip of his wine. It was a bit dry, but it tasted good to him. "You loved him, didn't you?"
Try not to shorten the text. Do not distort the text: Fleur snorted and took a sip of her wine. "Your uncle was a difficult man to love," she smiled sadly. "The truth was, he loved everyone and was loved in return. But..."
Harry' phone buzzed, interrupting their conversation. Taking it out, he read a message from the pizza guy up front. With a smile that Fleur reciprocated with sadness, Harry went to get it. When he returned, Fleur was washing her hands in the kitchen. She shot him a smile and took a seat on the couch next to her empty wine glass.
"Refill?" Harry asked, handing her the pizza. "Yes, please!" She lifted her glass and offered it to him.
Harry took it with a smile and refilled it. Returning it a moment later, she gestured to the spot next to her. "Ummm..."
"How do you plan on helping me eat that from over there?" She gestured to where Harry sat. When she saw the look on his face, she pouted, "Really now, do you think I'd eat all this by myself?"
Harry smiled and grabbed his own wine glass before returning. "Alright, I'll help. But no promises. I already ate."
