Hell's Princess {H. Potter}

Chapter 13

Eleena hummed to herself as she fussed over one of the two mannequins placed side-by-side in the middle of her grandmother's private library. She ran her hands down the front of the gown the mannequin wore, feeling the rough surface of its beaded bodice, and tugged the skirt downwards to avoid any creases. Stepping back, she scrutinized her new additions to the gown and decided she was satisfied with her work. It only needed one last touch.

Eleena dug through the pocket of her robes and pulled out what she deemed to be the missing piece. The Ravenclaw family heirloom, made by her grandmother, stolen by her mother, and now owned by her. Ravenclaw's diadem was the perfect accessory to her Yule Ball attire, a symbol of pride for her House and heritage. That got her thinking, should she fashion a matching accessory for Harry? Cufflinks, perhaps...

"El?" A delicate voice called from the corridor, bring Eleena back to reality.

Recognizing the disembodied voice as Luna's, Eleena turned and sent a wave of her magic towards the room's only blank wall in order to reveal the entrance. She pulled the curtains apart as she walked through, revealing the resident Seer of House Ravenclaw in all her usual unbothered glory.

"Luna, hi. Is class over already?"

"Yes. Harry's waiting for you by the stairs."

"Please tell him I'll be right there, thank you."

As soon as Luna left, Eleena hurriedly retreated back into the library and covered the mannequins with a multitude of stasis charms. It was just in case, of course. The library, itself, was made to be self-sufficient, which explained why it had retained its pristine condition despite its centuries' worth of disuse. It was better to be safe than sorry. After all, Eleena didn't want to waste the effort she and Salem had poured into their outfits. The charms would keep them safe for now, just until Salem dropped by later to modify his. In the meantime, Eleena had a soulmate waiting on her.

Compact mirror in hand, she reapplied her signature red lipstick as she went to find Harry. She passed right by him, taking him by surprise when she linked their arms together so that she could drag him along. Fortunately, he took the sudden motion in stride and managed to keep up with her pace. They soon found themselves outside the castle, near one of the banks of Black Lake.

"Are you ready?" Eleena asked, getting right down to business.

"Yes." Harry nodded, determination shining behind his glasses, "Let's do this."

Presenting an encouraging smile, Eleena reached for Harry and gently manhandled his pliant body into position. His right hand on her back, his left cradling her right, and her left resting on his shoulder — the routine position for a ballroom waltz, the dance Eleena had promised Harry she would teach. This was what replaced their weekly dueling lessons. With the Yule Ball drawing closer every passing day, Harry had confided to the Ravenclaw that he was clueless in terms of formal dancing (or any kind, really). Eleena had been quick to volunteer as his personal trainer. It was out of the goodness of her heart, of course... Definitely not for the opportunity to be pressed so close to her soulmate.

"I'm horrible at this..." Harry groaned after stepping on Eleena's toes for the umpteenth time.

"Well, you're certainly no expert." Eleena quipped lightheartedly.

"You're supposed to comfort me, not agree." Harry complained with a slight pout.

"I wasn't. You could be doing much worse; I promise you that." Eleena amended.

Harry only huffed in response and pulled away, looking every bit as frustrated as he probably felt. In an effort to comfort the poor boy, Eleena slid behind him and loosely locked her arms around his waist, planting a soft kiss on the skin just below his ear. The reaction was nearly instantaneous. Harry sagged in her hold, letting her support both of their weights fully.