19Harry let out a low groan as he rubbed at his eyes.
He tried to open them as he sat up, but the sunlight streaming in from the windows was too bright to bear. Flopping back down, he let his arm fall to his side.
But instead of hitting the mattress, it landed on...something.
It was warm. Soft. And felt suspiciously like another person?
With his eyes squeezed shut and heart beginning to speed up, he racked his brain for who it could be. Where he could be.
But all of his mental faculties were drowned out by the thunderous pounding in his head.
"Ughhh."
This was bad. Like George's stag do bad. But worse. At least then, he'd known who he was sharing a bed with.
Nobody could snore like Ron.
Ron.
Wasn't he on a trip with him?
Pressing his palms down on the bed, Harry pushed himself up into a half-seated position, his eyes still firmly closed.
"Oh...you're awake."
He whipped his head around at the soft voice, his eyes snapping open.
But the light was too bright, the world too blurry, and the sudden movement made him clutch his stomach.
A loud groan escaped his lips.
"Here, take this," a soft voice said, pressing a vial into his hands.
A rush of paranoia shot up from within him, and as he started to get his bearings, he realised they were in his hotel room. "I've...already got some, thanks," he said, fumbling for his wand under the pillow and summoning his own vial of hangover solution.
The woman didn't seem offended, merely shrugging and downing more of her own.
As the cool solution met Harry's tongue, he sighed in relief, the effects almost instantaneous. His mind cleared, the drumming in his head faded, and the only thing wrong with his vision was...
"You'll need these too."
Harry took the proffered glasses with a grateful smile and then finally got a better look at the woman beside him.
She was short. He could tell even from her seated position. Curly brown hair and brown eyes, a round face with full cheeks and the hint of dimples, small nose, and lips that weren't quite plump, but not quite thin either. She was cute, there was no doubt about that.
Now that his head was clear, vague images of their night spent together flashed before his mind's eye. Her name was on the tip of his tongue.
"Feeling better?" she said, placing a warm hand on his knee.
"Yeah," Harry said, pulling himself further up the bed so he was level with her. The movement made him aware of a new pain right above his left arse cheek, of all places. Discreetly, he brought his hand behind his back to feel the area. It was warm to the touch, slightly inflamed.
Wait...he couldn't have got a…
No, he would never…
And there, of all places…
Harry shook his head and vowed to worry about that later. Instead, he directed his attention to the woman beside him.
Looking her up and down quickly, he noticed she was fully clothed. And with a swift peek under the blankets, he confirmed he was at least still in pants.
The rest of his clothes were discarded on the floor. His shirt was nowhere in sight, and upon closer inspection, he noticed his trousers had been replaced with ones made of snake-skin.
Where the hell had he got snake-skin trousers? And why?
But that wasn't even the most bizarre part of his predicament. Because as he brought his hands up to rub his face, an unfamiliar sensation of metal met his cheek.
Right there, on his strangely glossy-nailed left ring finger, was a black wedding band.
Had he…?
No, he couldn't have…
He absolutely could not have.
"Did we, er..." Harry said, looking over at the woman and noticing a ring on her finger as well.
She shook her head. "No," she said, before giving him a wink. "You were a perfect gentleman."
"Good, good," Harry said, nodding slowly, slightly confused by that response.
"We just passed out as soon as we got to bed, no funny business."
He stared at her for a moment before realising she was referring to sex, not their possible union in marriage. He still couldn't place her name, and he was relieved, at least, that he hadn't slept with her and forgotten. Not that being married to her and forgetting was any better, but he'd deal with that later.
What was her bloody name...Hattie? No, that didn't sound right.
"Maddie," she said, as though reading the struggle on his face. "Maddie Hixon."
He dipped his chin. "Right, of course," he said. "I knew that."
"Sure you did, uh...Gary? Larry? Evan?"
The teasing look on her face made Harry smile apologetically. "Harry," he said. "Harry Potter."
"Yes," she said, returning his smile. "That wasn't so easy to forget."
So, she was a witch. That much was obvious.
"Look, I know we spent time together last night, but, er...can you fill me in?" he said. "I'm usually not like this. I'm sorry. Just...the drinking and...Merlin, there was so much drinking..."
Maddie gave him a sympathetic look. "Sure," she said. "As long as you tell me who you're here with and why he's got a bunch of Veela hanging off him."
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Twenty-four hours earlier...
With a momentary bout of dizziness, Harry stumbled forward, catching himself on Ron's shoulder to stop himself from tripping over flat ground.
After more than half his life in the Wizarding World, he'd yet to manage a graceful landing via magical transportation.
"You haven't even got a drink in you yet, mate," Ron said, patting him on the back. "I shudder to think what a couple of Flaming Snallygasters will do to you."
"A couple of what, now?" Harry said, squinting up at the sun.
He knew it would be hot, but not blisteringly so. Blimey, his skin wasn't made for this. He dreaded to think how Ron's ginger complexion would cope.
"Famous drink here, according to Seamus," Ron said as they approached what seemed like a deserted dirt road.
There were endless desert plants surrounding them, but off to the distance, he could see the beginnings of civilization. Tall buildings and paved city streets against a backdrop of mountains.
It would have been a beautiful sight to behold if not for the sweltering Nevada sun blinding their vision.
"According to him, it's the antidote to a broken heart," Ron said, pulling out a map. "Merlin knows I need that right now."
"Antidote seems a generous term for something that essentially just serves as a temporary obliviation charm."
Ron rolled his eyes. "If getting blackout drunk is going to help me forget Hermione for a while, then that's what I'll do," he said. "Now shut up and help me find the entrance point."
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed a small group appear out of thin air via their own portkey and head purposefully towards a large pile of rocks on the side of the road. He nudged Ron and pointed his head in their direction before following after them.
It wasn't long before Harry seemed to detect an invisible threshold with about a five meter radius around the rocks, clearly imbued with a multitude of repelling charms.
"Hiya," Ron said to the group as they all turned to look at them. He couldn't seem to get any more words in, however. His jaw was too busy hanging open.
It was a group of Veela, both male and female. One of them eyed Harry at once, recognition flashing across her face.
"You heading to Raider's Alley?" one of the men asked in a thick Nordic accent.
"We are, yes," Harry said, discreetly pinching Ron's arm.
The same woman who'd made eye contact with him spoke up. "Business or pleasure?" she said.
"Er...pleasure, I guess," Harry said. "Just on holiday, needed a break from reality. You?"
"Oh...definitely pleasure," she said, giving him a small smile.
He gave a polite one in return.
"Erik, hurry up please. I'm dying in this heat," another woman said.
Silently thanking her in his mind, Harry turned to see Erik pull his wand out and tap it against various rocks in the pile before double-tapping the final one on top that looked very much like a witch's hat.
The pile glowed yellow for a moment before Erik gestured the group to follow him through what looked like thin air but was actually an invisible portal.
"Blimey," Ron breathed as soon as they stepped out into a long strip of buildings, his gaze darting left and right.
Raider's Alley was quite something to behold. The architecture of the long and winding road seemed to combine both muggle and wizard influences, juxtaposed in a way that almost seemed nonsensical. Flashing signs and billboards in an old magical western city setting, saloons transformed into modern pubs, goblin-run casinos, clubs with trolls standing outside as bouncers, an old-style red and white circus tent next to shops on top of shops on top of shops.
"We're heading to the Wicked Imp after we settle in if you'd like to join us," Erik offered, breaking Harry's attention away from the scene. "Best place to get drinks around here, I've heard."
"Yes," Ron said at once before shutting his eyes in embarrassment. "I mean...yeah, sounds...cracking."
Harry was glad that he'd at least regained his ability to form words.
The hotel they were staying at was nearby, and it didn't take long to check in and freshen up, both of them eager to remove themselves from their sweat-soaked clothing. They'd got two connected suites, and when Harry was finished getting dressed in a grey shirt and black trousers, he knocked on the door between their rooms.
"Seriously?" he said, as he walked in, eyeing the bright blue potion Ron was chugging.
"What?" Ron said with a shrug. "Hermione and I are finished. Again. If I want to have a meaningless shag to get over her, then I will."
Harry held up his hands in defence. "Do whatever you want, just put up a silencing charm."
x-x-x
As soon as they stepped inside the Wicked Imp, Harry's eyes landed on the group of Veela. They stuck out like a sore thumb with their platinum blonde hair and startling good looks, attracting the attention of everyone in the place.
Ron was already headed in their direction causing Harry to sigh. He really wasn't in the mood to socialize, but he didn't want to cramp Ron's style. Casually slipping away, he headed towards the bar instead.
This whole trip had been for Ron, but Harry had jumped at the opportunity for a holiday, an opportunity to escape the monotony of his life. He sympathized with his friend's broken heart, he really did. But a small part of him longed for even the on-again, off-again instability of Ron and Hermione's relationship. At least it was something. Harry hadn't had something in what felt like ages.
Being an auror didn't lend well to a personal life. And for a long time, he hadn't minded that. His job had been exciting, fulfilling, energizing.
These days, it was just...monotony.
"Harry Potter?"
He turned in surprise and came face to face with the Veela that had made eyes at him earlier.
"Oh, hi," he said, already thinking of a way to get rid of her.
"My name is Ulla," she said, offering her hand.
He smiled and shook it. "Harry," he said before correcting himself. "Obviously. You knew that."
She let out a small laugh. "Would you like to join us at our table?"
Looking over her shoulder, Harry spotted Ron with one of Ulla's friends hanging off his arm and giggling.
"You know, I...I think I'm good here," he said. "But my friend Ron is a riot, you'll love him. He just got out of a bad break up, but he wants to get his mind off it. So, he's up for...well, anything."
Ulla seemed to understand what he was insinuating but took a look at Ron and raised a sceptical eyebrow at him.
"Did I mention he once saved my life, knocking out a troll with a single spell?"
She lowered her head and raised the other eyebrow.
"True story," Harry said, nodding at her.
With that said, he watched Ulla turn around and stalk towards Ron, her hips now swaying, drawing ample attention from the other patrons in the Wicked Imp.
"Man...you must have some girl back home," said a voice near him.
Harry looked up to see the bartender eyeing Ulla as she walked away.
"Yeah, you'd think so," Harry mumbled.
The man raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "What can I get you?"
Scanning the menu really quick, Harry shrugged and looked back at the bartender. "Let's give that Flaming Snallygaster a try."
With a chuckle, the bartender nodded. "One of those days, huh?" he said. "You got it, man."
x-x-x
When the drink arrived, Harry couldn't keep his eyebrows from shooting up. Not only from the surprise of seeing the drink that was shoved in front of him, but also to save them from the flames that threatened to singe them off.
The four foot tall wall of fire rising from the drink was a bit more intense than Harry was expecting.
Before he could even think of how to consume it, the flames suddenly shifted and a bird-reptile chimera wreathed in fire emerged, snarling at him.
With his eyebrows still lifted, Harry looked at the bartender, then back at the drink. And then back at the bartender.
"And...how do I drink this?" he said.
"Well, you'll need magic, won't you?"
Rolling his eyes, Harry flicked out his wand and dispelled the flames.
The bartender gave him a crooked smile and then backed away, moving further down the bar but still watching him.
Harry picked up the drink, gave a silent 'cheers' to the bartender, and then downed it all in one go, slamming the empty glass back onto the bar.
The taste wasn't quite what he'd expected. It burned going down his throat, worse than cheap firewhiskey, and it seemed to have three competing flavours that shouldn't have worked so well together yet somehow did.
If he had to describe it, he'd have to say...orange soda mixed with lemon-lime and barbeque.
As the drink settled into his system, Harry began to feel an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. It was as if the three flavours were fighting in a ring of fire, and the loser was his upper sphincter.
Before he could stop it, the fire seemed to rip out of his stomach and shoot up towards his mouth. The same bird-reptile wreathed in flames erupting from his lips.
Harry was in the midst of an intense coughing fit when the bartender came back over.
"Man, that never gets old," he said, throwing his head back in laughter.
"Glad one of us is amused,' Harry said in annoyance. "Bloody Seamus..."
He definitely should've known better than to trust his recommendation.
"Can I get you anything else?"
Slumping forward, Harry dropped his head and coughed out the last remnants of the Flaming Snallygaster.
"What would you recommend?" he said.
The bartender dropped his elbows onto the bar and leant forward. "Well, depends, doesn't it? What kind of night you looking for?" he asked before nodding his head at something behind Harry. "Not that kind, I'm assuming."
Following his gaze, Harry turned around to see Ron in the distance beaming from ear to ear, Ulla draped all over him, a drink in each hand.
"Not that kind, no," he said before turning back.
"Gonna gamble, then?"
Snorting, Harry peered over at the nearest goblin, who met his eyes and immediately bared his pointy teeth, his hand gripping the axe on his waist tighter.
"Damn, what have you done to old Strox?" the bartender said through a laugh. "Don't think I've ever seen someone get that sort of reaction before."
Harry shrugged. "Pulling off a successful bank heist and getting off scot-free will do that to you."
Standing back up, the bartender let out a grunt. "Yeah, that'd do it, alright," he said, taking Harry's empty glass. "Braver man than me, dude. I think I have just the drink in mind for you."
Without a further word, he appraised Harry one more time and then walked off.
A few minutes passed as Harry waited, tapping his fingers. He looked back over toward the betting machines, meeting the goblin's eyes once more.
He was now sharpening his axe.
Ducking his head, Harry turned back towards the bar just as the bartender came back out with a new drink in hand.
It was...unexpected.
The man was walking towards him with a giant banana-shaped glass that took both his hands to carry.
Moving carefully, he approached and deposited the drink in front of Harry and onto a stand that appeared out of thin air. "Haven't made one of these since the night I invented it," he said, practically glowing golden with pride.
Harry blinked.
Blimey, he actually was glowing golden, the light emanating from the drink reflecting off him.
"I call this...The Golden Banana," he said, dusting off the bar around the glass.
Frowning, Harry looked at the ludicrous drink. Seamus had already got one over on him. He wasn't about to let it happen again.
"Er...thanks," he said before pushing the drink away. "But no thanks."
"This isn't like the Flaming Snallygaster," he said, learning forward into Harry's personal space. "This here-" he tapped the large banana, "-took me a year to create. And in the end, it only worked out because of sheer luck."
The way he said the last two words made Harry glance up, a meaningful look passing over the man's face.
Luck.
Drawing away, Harry eyed the drink up and down. "I'm assuming it tastes like bananas?"
"Banana-flavoured medicine," the bartender said.
Harry shifted his eyes to the side. "That's...specific."
The man nodded. "Look, I never thought I'd say this to Harry Potter of all people, but...you seem like you need a bit of excitement," he said, pushing the massive drink toward him. "Drink this, and you'll have a night you won't forget. Mark my words."
With that said, the bartender backed away, but not before adding: "And don't even bother trying to gamble," he said with a serious look. "Won't work, and you don't need more of a reason for the goblins to hate you."
Harry nodded as the man walked away, then bent down to give it a whiff. It smelled fine.
With some trepidation, he picked up the oversized glass banana and drank a gulp of the golden liquid.
The bartender was right about one thing. It did taste like banana medicine.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Harry glanced around the bar in disinterest, sipping on his banana-flavored drink. It was connected to their hotel, various doors leading into private event rooms and a corridor to get back to the lobby.
He watched as patrons walked in and out, some boisterously loud, others quiet as death. And looking like it. So far, he hadn't experienced anything "unforgettable" about his night as the bartender had advertised, but he didn't mind. People-watching was fine with him.
A loud wall of noise met his ears at that moment and he turned to see a group of young women enter the bar, all dressed in matching fuschia-coloured shirts and sparkling white sashes across their shoulders, the leader of the group wearing a tiara.
"Bachelorette party," the bartender said following Harry's eyes.
He nodded, sipping more of his drink and resuming his people-watching until several minutes later when he saw a figure approach out of the corner of his eye.
"Doing all right?"
Harry turned to see Erik perusing the drink menu. "Not bad," he said.
"Not as well as your friend, eh?" Erik said with a wink.
"I doubt anyone's doing as well as him at the moment."
They both chuckled, taking part in inane small talk as Erik waited for his drink. But they were interrupted soon after by a third voice.
"Hi," someone behind them said breathlessly.
Turning around in his seat, Harry saw one of the women from the Bachelorette party staring up at Erik with wide eyes, rosy cheeks, and a fruity drink sloshing around in her glass.
"Hello," he said politely.
"Sorry, can I just say...you're like…really pretty-I mean-handsome. Gorgeous. I mean-hi," she said, her ears turning pink. "Hi."
"Hi," Erik said before glancing around and adding another, "...hi."
Harry grimaced and turned away, taking pity on the girl but unable to stand a moment more of this second-hand embarrassment.
He knew enough about the effect that Veela had on people, Ron providing a wealth of experience for that. But she had plenty of friends to come to her aid right now.
Tuning out the rest of the conversation, Harry checked back in on his own friend to make sure he wasn't making too much of a fool of himself only to meet the gaze of another Veela across the room.
He sighed as she smiled and took it as an invitation to walk over.
"Hello," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "My name is Astrid."
"Harry, and sorry, not interested," he replied, jumping right to it. "But you should meet my friend Ron, over there. The ginger. He once helped kill a fifty-foot long basilisk."
Astrid looked over her shoulder and back at him. "Is that so?"
He closed his eyes and nodded very seriously. "All to save his baby sister from death's clutches."
She cleared her throat and excused herself.
Sipping his drink, Harry settled back against the bar, letting the conversation to his left filter back into his awareness.
"No ring, I see," came Erik's thick accent.
The woman giggled. "You can put one on there if you want," she said in a dreamy voice before realisation seemed to hit her. "I mean-that's not. I meant-you can marry me if you want."
And...there it went again.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Harry mumbled as he watched the girl get down on one knee.
Having had enough, he put his drink down and interrupted.
"Right, maybe you should take her back to her friends, mate," Harry told Erik, giving him a meaningful look.
The girl began to protest, but Harry leant over and helped her back up from her kneeling position.
"No, I can't leave my fiance," the girl said, grabbing onto Erik's arm and staring up at him desperately.
Erik seemed to find this all very amusing. "I don't think she's letting go anytime soon," he said, detaching her from his arm and lightly guiding her towards Harry.
Wondering why he always managed to get himself into messes that didn't involve him, Harry sighed and left his post at the bar to lead her back to her group.
Except when he turned back around, they were nowhere to be found.
Brilliant.
"Hey, do you know where your friends went?"
The girl was too busy blinking rapidly and holding a palm to her forehead. "What the hell was that?" she whispered to herself.
"He's a Veela," Harry told her. "They have that effect on people. Well...to a certain extent anyway. You really went full out."
"Oh my God," she said, covering her hands with her face. "Oh my God...did that actually just happen? So freaking embarrassing..."
Not knowing what to say, Harry nodded. "Yeah...it was."
"Who the hell are you?" she said as if noticing him for the first time.
"No one," he said, resuming his search for her group. "Just wanted to find your friends for you."
Her eyes widened at that and she quickly scanned the room as well. "Shit! I'm gonna be late," she said, placing her drink in Harry's hand and running into one of the private rooms.
Harry watched as she let out a yelp before running back out.
"Wrong one," she told him before opening the one in front of them.
A roar of noise erupted from the other side at once, and Harry didn't have to look to know she'd found the right one.
"Maddie!" several voices shouted followed by a few wolf whistles and cheers.
Harry was about to turn away and return to the bar, having completed his duty, when a hand shot out of the room and forcibly dragged them both inside, the drink in his clutches spilling onto his shirt.
He didn't even have time to react before a sudden, odd sensation hit him.
"What the-!" he said, snapping his head down at his legs.
Someone had bloody vanished his trousers!
"Oh my God!" Maddie said, placing a hand on her mouth. "You guys, stop! Stop! It's not him. Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"
She stood in front of him as if to shield him from everyone's gaze.
"Just give me my bloody trousers back!" he hissed at her.
Maddie opened her mouth then closed it, turning toward her friends.
"I, um...vanished them," said the apologetic voice of the bride-to-be.
He didn't get a chance to respond because at that moment, the door slammed open and a man dressed head to toe in form-fitting snakeskin struck a dramatic pose in the doorway.
Loud bass-filled music erupted in the room, and he gyrated to the beat as he walked in, heading toward the bride and causing several excited screams.
Maddie turned back towards Harry with a big smile. "I have an idea!"
x-x-x
Finally making his way out of that mess, Harry exited the room and swung the door shut behind him.
His trousers felt rather...tight. Trying to loosen them up, he shifted left, then right, stretching out his legs and doing an active groin stretch.
For how snug they wrapped around his skin, they were startlingly comfortable and stretchy.
"Oi!" a voice called out from behind him. "Stop sticking your arse out and get out of the bloody way! Some of us blokes have Veela to get back to."
Harry straightened up and turned his head. "Ron?"
"Harry?" Ron said at the same time.
With deliberate slowness, Ron looked him up and down, his eyes wide and jaw opening and closing without any words coming forth.
"What the bloody hell happened?" he said, after his brain finally rebooted. "Why's your shirt all wet and why in Merlin's saggy bollocks are you wearing Nagini's American cousin for trousers? Did someone mug you?"
Harry ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "No, there was this girl at the bar—"
"Ah, say no more," Ron said, holding his hand up to stop him. "What a relief. I was worried about you turning down those two Veela, but I guess they just weren't your type, eh?"
Before Harry could decide if he should even bother explaining his ridiculous predicament, he felt the undeniable presence of a Veela allure wash over him.
Bloody hell, not another one.
"My my my, what do we have here?" she said, a secutive purr to her words.
Harry turned to face her only to see her eyes ogling his tight trousers. She seemed to be burning a hole through them with her gaze. Starting to feel uncomfortable, he stepped aside and shoved Ron at her.
"Hi, have you met Ronald Weasley?" he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "He once broke into a high security bank and escaped on a dragon, flying him to freedom after hundreds of years of captivity."
"It is my distinct pleasure to meet you," Ron said, stepping forward and placing a kiss on her offered hand.
Shaking his head, Harry watched them go, Ron mouthing a quick 'thanks' over his shoulder before placing an arm around the woman's waist.
x-x-x
"Um, hey."
Harry turned around from the spot at the bar that he'd reclaimed and frowned at once.
"Listen, I'm so sorry about all that back there," Maddie said, her brows drawn together. "It was just a huge misunderstanding. You were only trying to help me and in return, I got you taken advantage of by several horny women."
He stared at her for a moment. "It's okay," he said. "Wouldn't be the first time."
She looked at him in confusion.
"That was a joke," he said.
Her features relaxed and she smiled. "Right," she said before holding out her hand. "I'm Maddie, by the way."
"Yeah...I got that," he said, motioning his eyes towards the bachelorette party. "I'm Harry."
For a moment, she had no reaction. But then her eyes travelled up to his forehead and she turned momentarily pale.
"Oh...oh…" she said, doubling over as if she were about to be sick. "Oh God...I just got Harry Potter sexually assaulted...oh fuuu-"
"Whoa," Harry said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Please don't sue me," she said, taking deep breaths in to calm herself. "I'm still paying off my broomstick loans. I know I shouldn't have bought the Viper 3000, but I swear it's my only effective coping skill."
Harry glanced around hoping to find one of her friends coming to the rescue, but they were once again nowhere in sight.
"I'm...not going to sue you," he said. "It's fine really. All is forgiven. In fact...these trousers are rather comfortable."
She looked up at him. "Was that another joke?" she said, still breathing heavily.
"Sort of," he said, looking down at them. "But it could have been worse, I suppose."
"How?"
"Well...I could be wearing that," he said.
They both looked down at her fuschia colored shirt bearing the words: That's What She Said!
"The bride's shirt says 'Yes'," she explained, looking embarrassed. "They're supposed to go together..."
Harry smiled despite himself. "Well, I think you've lost them again," he said. "Your friends, that is."
"Thanks for clarifying, I thought you meant my marbles."
"Well...jury's still out on that one," he said.
She laughed, her face transforming instantly, the previous paleness replaced by flushed lips, dimples, and bright brown eyes. After the initial shock of the entire situation wore off, Harry noted that she was rather cute. Her rich brown hair fell to her shoulders in loose ringlets. She was on the shorter side, but with a muscular build. She'd just mentioned something about a broomstick, so clearly she was athletic.
"You here on vacation or should I be worried about a dark wizard attack?" she said.
"Here on vacation," he said, "...which is exactly what I would say if I was here dealing with a dark wizard attack."
Her eyes instantly drew together in concern before relaxing again at his grin.
"I'm only kidding," he said with a smile. "I'm here with my mate. We both needed a break away. A bit of fun."
Maddie looked over at Ron who was now laughing with three different Veelas. "Yeah, looks like he's having fun."
Harry nodded. "Sorry it didn't work out with Erik by the way. The guy you were talking to earlier," he said at her confused expression. "Well, 'talking' is a bit generous. Proposing to, more like"
She gave him an unamused look before shaking her head with a dry laugh. "It's all good," she said, meeting Harry's eyes again. "Didn't turn out so bad, I suppose."
The air between them changed slightly at that, but Maddie cleared her throat and looked around the bar.
"Anyway, I should go," she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Next activity on the itinerary is a mani/pedi, and it looks like I've fallen behind again. Need to find the nail salon."
Feeling a small twinge of disappointment, Harry nodded. "Yeah, er...nice meeting you," he said. "Thanks for the trousers."
Maddie smiled. "Nice meeting you, too," she said. "And for the record, I've never seen anyone rock snake-skin like that before."
Harry laughed and bid her goodbye, returning to his seat and watching her walk towards the door. She was about to push it open when she paused for a moment and turned back around.
"Do you want to come, too?"
He furrowed his eyebrows. "To the...nail salon?"
She seemed to realise what she'd said a moment too late and immediately blushed red. "Yeah, that would be pretty weird, I guess. Not that there's anything wrong with men getting their nails done. Just...you don't seem the type. Not that there's a certain type of-"
"Why don't I walk you there," he said, hopping off his stool.
Maddie smiled in relief and nodded. "That would be great, thanks."
x-x-x
"Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Harry looked past Maddie's shoulder as she stopped abruptly in the doorway of the nail salon. He'd had every intention of dropping her off and leaving, but he'd decided to be a gentleman and open the door for her.
Then followed her inside.
And it was a good thing he did, too. Because dressed head-to-toe in loose white clothing were several Veela nail technicians, men and women alike. They each exuded the same level of allure that Erik had at the bar if Maddie's sudden trance-like state was anything to go by.
"Hey," he said, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "You still there?"
She mumbled something noncoherent, and Harry rolled his eyes before taking her hands and attempting to stick her fingers in her ears.
It seemed to help a bit, the dazed look in her eyes disappearing.
"You have very low willpower, you know that?" he said.
She looked offended for a moment before giving in and nodding. "I do," she said. "You already know about my broomstick buying addiction."
"Addiction? You've bought more than one?"
"Well, mostly used," she said. "My Viper was a treat."
Used broomsticks didn't exactly go cheap either. Harry found himself starting to get concerned about her lifestyle choices before realizing he'd met her twenty minutes ago and would likely never see her again.
Blimey, maybe he really did have a saving people thing.
"Are you with the bridal party ma'am?" said one of the techs as they greeted them. "Sir?"
"Oh, n-"
"Yes," Maddie said. "We are."
Harry looked at her in confusion as the bloke led them towards...well...the foot station? He wasn't sure exactly what was going on there, but people had their feet in bubbling bowls of water.
"What's happening?" he said in a low voice.
Glancing over her shoulder, Maddie gave him a pleading look. "You get a free mani/pedi and the satisfaction of being my knight in shining armour. Isn't that what all guys want in life?"
"Literally just those two things."
Maddie sighed and turned fully to face him. "Fine...you can leave if you want."
"Oh, I have your permission?"
They stared at each other for a moment before she let out a small laugh.
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I don't know what's gotten into me today, I'm usually not this chaotic."
He hummed in response, not quite sure he believed that. "Well, luckily for you, I've got nothing better to do right now, and I do enjoy free things," he said, taking a seat at one of the foot stations and gesturing for her to do the same. "And maybe saving the occasional damsel in distress, as well."
With a grateful smile, she took the seat next to him and began taking off her shoes.
Harry followed suit, unsure of what a pedicure entailed but allowing himself to have an open mind. It certainly looked comfortable.
Two veela nail technicians walked their way, one male and the other female. Harry turned to give Maddie an encouraging look as the female Veela sat down in front of her, but to his surprise, she was just as spaced out as she'd been with Erik.
"Something you want to tell me?" he said, leaning over to speak into her ear. "Because if so, we might need to call in reinforcements."
Snapping out of her daze, Maddie looked over at him. "Oh, I'm not gay," she said. "Or bi, for that matter. Just...I mean, how can you look at that and not be at least somewhat attracted."
"How can you, indeed."
"Aren't we all a little bi, anyway?" she continued. "Tell me you wouldn't sleep with Erik if it was a life or death situation."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why would that be a life or death situation?"
"Maybe you're the last two humans alive," she said with a shrug.
"So...we'd have sex with each other to repopulate the earth?"
She seemed to realise her words too late, but then let out a loud laugh that carried above the noise of the room. "Okay, okay...for comfort, then."
Holding back a grin, Harry nodded. "Then, yes," he said seriously. "If Erik and I were the last two humans alive, I'd have sex with him for comfort."
"I knew it!" Maddie said, pointing a finger at him causing him to chuckle.
With a lingering smile, she settled back in her seat and closed her eyes. Harry stared at her profile for a moment before doing the same.
"How do you do it, anyway?" she said a few seconds later. "You're completely unaffected by them. You're not married, are you?"
"No, why?"
Maddie shrugged. "They seem to affect single people more than those in a relationship. Especially if you're married," she said, gesturing to her friends, who were for the most part behaving normally.
Well...there were several high pitched giggles and sighs. But no one else was on their knees with a proposal of marriage.
"I'm as single as they come," he said, the words coming out more pathetic than he'd intended. "And also a trained auror. We're taught how to handle these sorts of situations."
"Aggressive bachelorette parties in Vegas?" she said.
"Yeah, that's week three."
She threw her head back and laughed, and Harry grinned along with her.
"Well, go on, then," she said, patting his arm. "Give me a few tricks from your auror training. I'd really prefer not to propose to anyone else tonight."
Harry shrugged. "There isn't really a trick to it; it's mostly just the allure amplifying your desires whilst lowering your restraint," he said, mindful of keeping his voice down as he met his nail tech's gaze. "Being around them more will help you adjust, but that takes weeks normally."
With a thoughtful frown, Maddie nodded.
"The best way to fight it off is just to have someone or something you desire more, or are invested in more, than a Veela," Harry said.
She seemed to consider this for a moment, lips pinched together. "So bring my Viper next time. Got it," she said, glancing down at the bubbling water in her basin. "Glad I stumbled into you, at least. You're definitely helping to keep me grounded."
Harry felt oddly touched by the sentiment.
"And...also helping me have fun, I suppose," she added. "Really wasn't looking forward to this trip much anyway."
"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.
With a shrug, she looked around the room. "Me and Vegas? Temptation abound? You've seen how well I do with that," she said, with a self-deprecating laugh.
Something told Harry that wasn't the full story, but he didn't want to pry.
"But Maid of Honor and all that," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Can't really flake."
For some reason, that surprised him. "Maid of Honour?"
"I should be offended by the shock in your voice, but it's understandable," she said with a teasing look. "Yeah, the bride's my sister. I was just sort of dragged along into all of this."
He nodded for lack of anything better to say. And they sat there for a moment in silence, both enjoying the relaxing pedicures they were receiving.
"You must be bored out of your mind, though."
Glancing up, he met Maddie's eyes in question. He was actually quite enjoying himself at the moment.
"I meant in general, on your vacation," she said.
"Oh," he said. "I suppose. Though, we only just got in a few hours ago. 'Bored in general' would be the more accurate statement."
She raised an eyebrow at that. "Isn't being an auror like the opposite of boring?"
"There are more aspects of my life besides being an auror, you know," he said.
He'd said it as more of a joke than anything, but as the words came out of his mouth, he realised how sour they tasted.
Perhaps there weren't. And perhaps that was the problem.
Monotony.
There was that word again. Haunting him in little whispers, casting a grey shadow over every inch of his life.
"Maybe I just want a good story to tell when I get back home," he said finally, forcing a smile on his face. "Crashing a bachelorette party in Vegas? I'll go back a hero."
"Damn...how are you ever gonna adjust to a title like that?" Maddie said. "Let's hope you don't go getting a big head."
This time he laughed, causing some of the bridal party to look over at them in interest.
"Merlin, forbid."
x-x-x
There was something mesmerizing about watching a Veela file your fingernails. She went back and forth and worked to such perfection that Harry just couldn't tear his eyes away.
The closest comparison he had was the tranquility of watching a log burn in the The Burrow fireplace at Yule. Friends, family, and distractions abound while he was zoned out, entranced by the flickering flames, a tumbler of firewhiskey in hand.
It was a favourite habit of his.
"Maddie!" came a loud resounding voice that snapped him violently out of his daze
They both looked over to see her sister bounding toward them. "I just found out they do tattoos here!" she said, flush from excitement. "Isn't that great? We're all going to get one!"
Without waiting for a response, she ran to the other girls that had already finished their manicures, and the group immediately burst into chatter.
Looking over at Maddie, Harry couldn't help but let out a small laugh at how pale her face had just gone.
"Excited?"
She turned her head toward him, closed her mouth, opened it, and then closed it again.
"I'll take that as a resounding yes," he said, thanking the nail tech as she gave him his hands back. "But anyway, er...I'll need to go back and check on my mate. Make sure he hasn't done anything too stupid yet. And tattoos...aren't really my thing."
"Oh," Maddie said, finally finding her voice. "Yeah...alright."
"But then I'll come back," Harry added, smiling at her. "Not much of a shining knight if I can't brave the tattoo parlour with you."
Her face seemed to regain some colour as she smiled back at him. "No, not at all."
As they walked towards the exit together, Harry spotted something out of the corner of his eye that gave him an idea. "Hey, have you got a knut on you?" he said over his shoulder.
Maddie nodded and dug into her pockets before handing the coin to him. "You want a gumball or something?"
They were standing in front of a row of vending machines, some filled with candy, others with toys. Harry walked towards the one on the far left and deposited the knut.
Out popped a small ball that he handed to Maddie who opened it in confusion. Inside were a pair of fake wedding bands.
"Are you...proposing to me now?" she said in amusement.
"I figured it could serve as a primary defense against the Veela. Might deter them from approaching you, if anything," he said. "Won't do much if they decide to, anyway, but it's something."
Maddie gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Harry," she said. "Really, thank you for everything."
He nodded and took the other ring from inside the ball. "Might as well do the same," he explained to her as he slipped it on. "I'm apparently really popular amongst some groups of Veela. And yes, I realise how arrogant that sounds."
She chuckled in response. "See why I was worried you'd go getting a big head?
x-x-x
For being such a small pub, Ron was surprisingly hard to find. A gregarious redhead and three Veela should be rather conspicuous, but with a room full of witches, wizards, and magical creatures that was currently standing room only, they definitely were not.
After not finding him in the sitting area, Harry made his way to the bar to check, waiting behind a small crowd for his turn.
When he finally got up to the front, the bartender looked at him and grinned. "How's the night going?"
"Not...what I was expecting," Harry said, his thoughts drifting to Maddie. "But it seems like it could be promising."
The bartender's face curved into a toothy grin. "Sounds about right."
Not knowing what to make of that, Harry got back to the point at hand. "Have you seen my friend? The ginger with a bunch of Veela?"
"Yeah, private lounge area," he said, gesturing towards a door Harry hadn't noticed before.
Pushing his way through the crowd, Harry opened the ostentatious-looking door. On the other side was a wide corridor that was filled with so much red velvet he had to blink and rub at his eyes to be sure he wasn't hallucinating.
Red velvet carpet covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. Even the crown moulding was done in red velvet.
With trepidation, Harry walked down the hall. With each step he took, the faint pounding of bass grew louder. And when he came to the end, it was as if he'd stepped through an invisible doorway. Loud music assaulted his ears, and several strobe lights threatened to give him a seizure.
Shielding his eyes, he moved forward and then looked around.
From what Harry could tell, he was in some sort of night club. Mercifully, Ron and his Veela companions were easy to spot in a booth, empty shot glasses littering their table.
Harry tried to get to them without being accosted by anyone in the dancing crowd, but luck wasn't on his side.
"Come dance, cutie," a woman that could only be a Veela shouted at him over the music.
"Can't, sorry. Just here to find my friend," he said. But it was clear she either didn't hear him or was intent on dragging him to the dance floor anyway.
Holding his ground, Harry pointed toward the table, and she seemed to understand, pulling him there herself.
"Harrrrrry!" Ron bellowed out, raising a shot glass toward him. He leant forward, only staying upright because the table was preventing him from falling over.
With a single motion, Harry whipped out his wand and hit Ron with a sobering charm.
"Oof," Ron said, shaking his head out like a wet dog and blinking several times. "Cheers."
And with that, he downed another shot.
The woman still holding onto him tugged on his arm slightly to get his attention. She stared down at his hand and then back up at him with an expectant look, her sultry lips forming into a pout.
She'd clearly seen his ring, but apparently it hadn't been enough of a deterrent.
He looked back at Ron, surrounded by the three Veela from earlier. Each woman took a turn to grab hold of his face and kiss him. And when they'd finished, Ron had a dazed look in his eyes, his hair thoroughly tousled.
"Bloody hell," he breathed, a dopey yet reverent grin forming on his face.
Harry leaned into the Veela still holding his hand. "Have you met my friend Ronald Weasley?" he shouted into her ear. "He once braved the most haunted place in Britain, confronted the Most Wanted Wizard in Britain, and helped capture the most slimy of criminals. All without using his wand."
The woman shifted her eyes towards Ron, a blazing look on her face. "Is that so?"
Harry nodded and watched in satisfaction as she squeezed herself into the booth alongside the other three Veela.
x-x-x
"That butterfly is kind of cute."
Maddie cringed in response. "I am not getting a butterfly tattoo. That's so cliche."
"But it flaps," Harry said, demonstrating the motion with his hands. "It could symbolize the Butterfly Effect. You know...chaos theory? Fits you rather well, considering—"
"No," she said, rolling her eyes at him and flipping the page.
The two continued browsing, moving from butterflies to dragonflies to dragons.
Harry pointed at one of them. "That looks like the dragon I faced off with in my fourth year."
"Faced off with?" Maddie said, eyebrow raised.
"In the Triwizard Tournament," he explained.
Realization dawned on her face. "Right, right," she said. "I keep forgetting you're Harry Potter."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
She gave him a half-shrug. "If you want," she said, flipping another page. "You gonna get it, then? As a memento."
Letting out a laugh, Harry shook his head. "Absolutely not. Who says I'm even getting a tattoo?"
Maddie gave him a challenging look. "Oh, come on, don't be a chicken. You can do it in solidarity with me," she said. "Besides, how badass would it look to have a big black dragon that breathes fire on your chest?"
"Theoretically speaking," he said, holding up a finger. "If I'm getting a dragon on my chest, you have to get something equally as big on your back."
She shook her head. "Absolutely not," she said, mocking him in a terrible British accent. "If I actually get something, it's going to be somewhere innocuous, where it's always hidden. Like on my ankle."
Letting out a thoughtful noise, Harry frowned in disapproval. "I was thinking more...criss-crossing broomsticks. The handle starting at one shoulder and the bristles ending at the opposite arsecheek."
"It's ass, not arse."
Harry lifted his eyebrow. "That's what you're raising issue with?" he said. "Not the potential arse tattoo?"
Folding her arms across her chest, she considered him for a moment, her eyes shrewd. "I'll get a broomstick tattooed to my ass if you will," she said with that same challenging look as before.
He met her intense gaze with his, not even daring to blink. "If I do it, it's going to be a Firebolt."
As if by reflex, she stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Viper for me."
Harry lifted his mouth in a slow smile. "So, we're really doing this."
"We really are."
x-x-x
After leaving the tattoo parlour, Maddie had informed him that the last event of the bachelorette party was to get completely blackout drunk at the Wicked Imp night club. And as Harry walked into the pub and through the red velvet corridors, he couldn't help but muse at how poetically the day had come full circle.
Ron was still here with his group of Veela, dancing and grinding up against each other, ginger hair darkened and stuck to his forehead from sweat. Harry also spotted Maddie's friends on the dance floor, each one in various stages of intoxication, one girl's sash tied to her forehead like a karate headband.
"I can try to find a table, did you want to get us drinks?" Maddie shouted into his ear.
"Sure," Harry shouted back. "I'm gonna check on my friend, too."
He made his way towards the bar first, deciding to go with a regular option this time and ordering two Cherry-Banana Margaritas, a banana and cherry in the middle of a pink and yellow checkered glass.
Casting an anti-spill charm on his drinks, he fought his way through the crowd and approached Ron who'd sat back down at his table. But before he could get a word out, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed one of the drinks.
"Thanks!"
Harry turned in surprise. "Hey, who said that was fo—"
The words died in his mouth, and he almost groaned aloud.
"Thank you for the drink, Harry Potter."
Bloody hell. What was it that made this group of Veela want to throw themselves at him? Perhaps they were fanatics...or a cult.
He was about to ask to have his drink back when he saw Maddie approach from behind the girl, a fierce look in her eyes.
"That was for me," she said, plucking the drink from the woman's hand. "And Harry's here with me too."
Trying to hold back a satisfied grin, Harry addressed the woman once more. "But if you are looking for a good time, Ron's your guy," he said, gesturing towards him. "He once swam a young Veela out of a large, freezing lake after she'd been rescued from the captivity of Merpeople."
"Oh?"
Reaching out, Harry grabbed Maddie's hand and pulled her towards an empty table about a dozen steps away.
"This is, like, way better than having four brothers!" came Ron's voice as he welcomed the new Veela while swaying on the spot. "Oh, but Bill is already married to one. But she's ¼ veela so that means she's ¾ not… And she's French so that means she's only like half points."
Maddie raised an eyebrow, looking between him and Ron. Harry simply shrugged.
"He's nursing a broken heart," he said by way of explanation.
"So that means, like, that there's four of you plus one quarter minus the French bit and that would mean….?" Ron squinted his eyes together, as if in a mental struggle and then suddenly opened them. "Oh, who cares, I hate maths!"
With a discreet motion, Harry drew his want out and hit Ron with another sobering charm.
"So…" Maddie said, staring at Harry across the table. "You wanna dance?"
"Oh, er...I'm not much of a dancer," he said, taking a large gulp of his drink.
"Neither am I," she said, rubbing the top of her glass with her finger. "But it could be fun...with you."
They met each other's eyes for a moment and smiled, and Harry could feel something erupt in his heart that he hadn't felt in ages.
Excitement.
"It could be," he said, standing up and offering his hand.
x-x-x
Present Day
"...and then, I think we just danced for a while," Maddie said with a shrug. "And drank. We definitely kept on drinking."
Harry rubbed his temples as the memories began filtering back into his mind. "Yeah, this is definitely bringing some things together," he said, gingerly touching the area below his left hip.
"Oh?" Maddie said. "Like what?"
He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly. "I kept wondering why my arse cheek was so sore."
Her eyes widened all of a sudden as though just remembering, and she quickly ducked under the covers before letting out a loud groan. "Please tell me we went with the temporary ones," she said, reappearing with her eyes shut tight.
"We went with the temporary ones."
"Are you just saying that because I told you to say that?" she said.
Harry paused for dramatic effect, and she snapped her eyes open in fear. "No, we really did," he said, ducking as she tried to hit him with a pillow. "I remember now, the bloke said it only lasts two weeks."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she smiled. "Well, it does look very nice," she said, dropping the pillow back on the bed.
He nodded before getting back to the matter at hand. "So...after the dancing and drinking, did we, er...do anything else?"
"If you count sitting in a booth and chatting the night away while downing more drinks, then yeah."
Harry nodded his head slowly.
They both took a moment to stare out in front of them, going through the hazy memories of the night before. It was all slowly coming back to him, and thankfully it wasn't as scandalous as it seemed upon waking up.
"You really proposed to a Veela you'd just met, didn't you," Harry said, looking over at Maddie.
"I...really did," she said, shaking her head in a daze.
They both stared at each other for a moment before she let out a small laugh that set Harry off as well.
"I can't thank you enough for preventing that union," she said, leaning her head back against the bed and chuckling to herself. "It would have been really embarrassing to go to Vegas and get married, especially if it wasn't officiated by an Elvis impersonator."
"Only for that reason, I'd argue."
Maddie grinned and stared thoughtfully at the space in front of her. "I really am grateful, though," she said, turning to look at him. "For everything. For meeting you. It was...honestly the best part of this trip."
She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on top of his.
Turning his palm up to meet hers, he gave her hand a squeeze. "I wasn't really expecting much from my trip, either," he admitted. "You made yesterday really special, Maddie. One of the best nights I've had in a while. There's no need to thank me."
His words were met with silence, but she squeezed his hand back. And the two of them just sat there for a moment, the air charged between them.
"So..." Harry said after a while. "You'll probably need to find your friends and catch your portkey soon?"
"Oh, um," Maddie said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I'm here for one more day. I sort of planned ahead in the event that I'd get totally wasted and be unable to travel back home without a pounding head and the loss of my will to live."
"And is that how you're feeling now?"
Maddie gave him a smile. "A bit, yeah," she said. "But also nothing a good greasy breakfast wouldn't solve. And maybe...some good company?"
Feeling a small thrill at the look in her eyes, Harry nodded for lack of anything better to say.
But then a thought passed through his mind that caused the feeling to fizzle out. "I'd love to, but..." he said, looking down at his fingers. "I don't really do well with...one-, two-day things."
Maddie's lips parted in surprise. "Well, it doesn't have to be," she said, her voice soft. "I think I'd actually really like a...more-than-one-, two-day thing."
He looked up at her, the earnestness clear in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to get all heavy and put expectations on us. We can go day by day," he said. "I just...wanted to make my intentions clear."
With a smile, she squeezed his hand again. "I like you, Harry," she said. "And I don't often find myself liking too many people. But you're a really good person. You proved that to me already. And you're also just like...really funny and hot, so why wouldn't I want to give this a chance?"
Chuckling, Harry eased back against the bed, feeling a renewed sense of excitement. "I like you, too," he said. "But also really curious to see that broom collection of yours."
Maddie rolled her eyes and got up from the bed. "Enough chit chat. Is that a yes for the greasy breakfast?"
"A definite yes," he said, standing up as well. "Let me just make sure Ron's alive."
"Ah, that's right. Ron Weasley," she said, hitting her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I remembered Veela and ginger, but couldn't get further than that. Should have put two and two together with you being...well, Harry Potter."
"Yeah, well," Harry said, bracing himself before knocking on their conjoined door. "I'm sure he'll want everyone to forget him after yesterday."
x-x-x
After several knocks with no reply, Harry had to use his wand to slip into Ron's room. He moved slowly and silently, listening for any signs of life. Given Ron's penchant for snoring, he imagined it wouldn't be too difficult.
Harry walked through the sitting area and then signalled Maddie to come in. No naked debauchery thus far, thank Merlin.
Once she joined him, he put his finger over his mouth and crept to the bedroom door, finding it ajar. Being as stealthy as he could, he slowly wedged the door open.
The sight that awaited him was not what he was expecting.
Ron was in the middle of the bed, sitting up against the headboard, his covers pulled up to his chin and his wide, red-rimmed eyes, darting left and right over all of his bedmates.
He caught sight of Harry and looked at him in shock. "Tell me this isn't a dream, Harry," he said in a high pitched voice. "Tell me this is real."
By this point, Maddie had joined him, slipping her hand in his.
He looked down and smiled at her, feeling warmth spread through his chest at the sight of her dimples. "If it's a dream," he told him, "let's not wake up."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
AN:
We'd like to thank Petrificus Somewhatus and Nauze for beta reading this chapter. Nauze, we are sorry we made you beta an OC fic, even though you detest both of our OCs from ITT & GYWM. We'll write another Flowerpot, eventually, just for your sanity.
This oneshot was written for the Harry/OCtober Collection on Sal-MIA Studios discord. Check out the other submissions by looking in the FFN community or the AO3 collection. Please feel free to join using this link: discord. gg / hq5ZvYYMA7 (remove the spaces).
If you are good little boys and girls, and join the MIA Defence Force, Sal and Tal will update it for next OCtober - That's a Tal Promise!