{Edited} The Chaotic Traveler - Chapter 20 (Patreon)

AN: Edited chapters do not count toward monthly quota's.

Chapter 20: Making A Choice

'Stupid. Petty. Little. Bitches.' Each word accompanied a stomp in the inch of freshly fallen snow as Fleur angrily trudged to Jin's cabin, steam wafting off every step as her Mana boiled with fury.

It was the morning after the Triwizard champions were selected, and if Fleur thought winning her school's spot would finally make her schoolmates quiet down for once, she was most heavily mistaken.

‘Trying to get me disqualified by saying I used my Allure on the Goblet of Fire? How would I even affect an inanimate object!?’

Fleur didn’t even make it to breakfast before the bogus claims were placed against her, spreading like wildfire through the hall, intermixed with insults from all three schools.

Before Madam Maxime could attempt to knock some sense into her students, Fleur was out the door.

‘I can deal with petty rumors. I can deal with petty whispers. I can deal with petty little girls drowning in envy. But on my one chance to possibly achieve my dreams for the future, they try to get in my way? Do they really think I won’t burn them to a crisp?!’

Mind overcome with wrath and a grumbling, hungry stomach, the angry female barely paused to think about where her feet were taking her, subconsciously seeking out the one person she could feel safe with.

Jin had given her directions to his hut in case she needed anything, and though it was somewhat hidden by trees and fresh snow, the path to it wasn't hard to find.

A thousand thoughts swarmed like angry bees in Fleur's mind, but as she turned the last corner, the swarm screeched to a halt at the sight that greeted her.

Sweat dripped down defined muscles, brown hair danced in the air, and meaty arms rose high with a glistening axe head.

Jin stood shirtless in the chilly November air, bringing an axe down on a mound, muscles rippling as he split a heavy log in two like it was made of butter.

Fleur could not but stare as her higher brain functions momentarily fled, licking suddenly dry lips as she drank in the sight.

Heat radiated off Jin’s body, not unlike her own, if for different reasons, as he got an early morning workout building wood piles for the coming heavy snow.

So lost was he in his focus that he didn’t notice Fleur’s presence until he raised his axe high and froze as something pinched his ass.

Nostrils flaring with the familiar scent of spiced vanilla and lavender, Jin only barely contained his instinctive urge to swing his weapon in surprise. “Fleur.”

“Oui?” The Veela’s breathless response did nothing to ease the deadpan expression on his face.

“Are you groping my ass?” Jin asked aloud.

“Shhhh, carry on with what you were doing.” She purred.

Jin looked over his shoulder to side-eye the shameless blond, taking in her flushed, rosy cheeks stretched in a mischievous grin, and got a cheeky tongue stuck out at him.

“Careful with what you stick out at me, woman.” Jin warned.

"Careful with what you show me, man." Fleur matched his challenge.

The two stared off, lost in each other’s gaze for a long moment, before breaking out in matching smirks.

Jin dropped the axe on the stump and fully turned around to smile at his friend. "I almost took your head off there, Sparkles.”

"You wouldn't hurt a defenseless beautiful flower, would you?" She leaned forward to lay her dainty, chilled hands on his chest, adopting a look of pure innocence. "You big, warm, yummy teddy bear, you?"

Each word was punctuated by Fleur stepping closer into his personal space, coming up flush against him as she relished in the heat radiating off his body.

His Mana was a steady boulder in the wrathful storm of her own, steadying her like a ship tied to shore.

"Oi, I'm not your heater." Jin saw through her ploy in a heartbeat as he felt her cold fingers latch onto him. "Your hands are freezing; how the hell does a Veela have cold hands?"

“We weren’t built for the cold, Jin.” She wrapped around him like a koala, internally desperate for his stability. “And you’re warm and yummy."

Fleur ignored his adorably gentle attempts to brush her off and rested her chin on his chest, her shining blue eyes staring up into his bewildered amber pair. "Now come to Mama, I could use the distraction."

"Seriously?" Jin's brow twitched at how forward Fleur was being out of the blue, and he was about to pick her up and throw her in a snowy bush to cool off before noticing her smile didn't reach her eyes.

The signs of stress were clear to see when he looked for them.

Idly flicking on a quick Mana Scan, Jin saw her Allure fluctuating violently and shifted his actions to reach around and embrace the petite blond.

“O-oh.” Fleur suddenly found herself wrapped in a comforting warmth and flushed. “J-Jin?”

“Always better at serving than receiving, Sparkles.” Jin chuckled in her ear as his chest rumbled pleasantly against her body. “You’re upset.”

"I am not upset." Fleur denied and made a feeble attempt to break away, yet her body betrayed her as her arms refused to detach from his warmth.

"Yes, you are." Jin marveled internally at how sinfully comfortable Fleur felt in his arms; even with her puffy winter jacket, her body fit into his like a puzzle piece. "Your Allure looks like a bomb about to go off."

“Hmph.” Fleur huffed and nuzzled deeper into his embrace. “Seeing my Mana is cheating.”

"It's only cheating if the other team does it." Jin replied cheekily and ran a hand along her back, keeping well to safe areas. "Now, what's got you so bothered this early in the morning? Is it about the tournament?"

Mentioning the tournament made Fleur's body temperature flare, clearly telling Jin he had hit the nail on the head. Yet the heat quickly faded as Fleur closed her eyes and rested her forehead against him to hide the frustrated tears welling up.

She considered getting things off her chest, knowing Jin would listen to her rants, but decided that saying it out loud would make her sound childish. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her voice sounded vulnerable to Jin’s ears, so he responded as gently as he could. “What do you want to talk about then?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble in protest, reminding her that she skipped breakfast in her rush to get away. “I’m hungry.”

"Is that so?" Jin's arms tightened, and Fleur let loose a surprised squeak that she would deny to her deathbed if pointed out, as Jin easily lifted her off her feet to bring her to his eye level. "In that case, I'd be a poor friend if I didn't help with that."

Her watery eyes met his easy smile as she sniffled. “Oui, a very poor friend.”

His smile only widened. “I’d be an even worse friend if I didn’t carry you like a sack of flour.”

“Oui, an even worse…” Fleur trailed off as his words registered, but before she could object, he threw her over his shoulder without remorse. "Jin!"

"Silence from the body heat-stealing criminal!" He playfully slapped her bubble butt, earning an odd sound from the Veela who covered her mouth in surprise, grabbed a prepped cord of firewood, and made his way to his door.

Fleur pounded his back with fists that felt like snowballs to him. "Jin! We were having a moment!" She wiggled around ineffectually. "At least carry me like a princess!"

“But I wouldn’t be able to carry my wood inside if I did.”

“Is that really important right now?!”

"I take a crackling hearth very seriously; it's freezing out here."

“Then put on a shirt!”

“I didn’t hear you complaining when you were groping me a minute ago.”

Fleur paused to run her hands over his back muscles. “…I retract my demand.”

“Thought so.” Jin chuckled.

“Shush you.” Fleur chided.

The two bickered as Jin carried her inside, his warm, bright hut washing over Fleur with a wave of comfort and safety she hadn't felt in months, since she left home.

Jin gently set her down and gave her a small hug. "Take off your shoes and make yourself at home; I'll get breakfast going after I clean up.”

"Mn. Thank you." The warmth was everything Fleur wanted in that moment as she shed her puffy jacket, taking a quiet satisfaction in the way Jin's eyes trailed along the curves of her body, her school robes doing little to hide them.

Contrary to the unwanted gazes she had lived with since puberty, something about the way Jin drank her in set her skin tingling in pleasure, yet he didn't linger long enough to make it unpleasant.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jin’s rough voice broke her from her thoughts as he patted her shoulder and moved to drop off his wood supply by the hearth. “What are friends for, eh?”

"Yes… friends…" Fleur watched his back with complicated emotions as she saw the way he tensed in obvious restraint, feelings of dissatisfaction and appreciation stirring within her as he held himself back.

She shook her head and looked around, taking in the cozy interior. "I like what you did with the place."

“Thanks.” Jin took the topic change. “Gol is a wizard with interior decorating.”

“Gol?” Fleur tilted her head curiously.

“My house elf.” Jin supplied.

Fleur blinked at that. “You have a house elf?”

“Yeah, it’s not something I advertise.” Jin added another log to the fire as he asked. “Is something wrong with that?”

"I mean, a bit?" Fleur tried to think of a polite way to say it. "Usually only established families have them."

Jin noticed her awkward look and smirked. “You think I’m broke or something?”

"I never said that." Fleur reminded herself of who she was speaking to and shrugged off her need to be polite as she plopped down on a sinfully comfortable couch, a groan of pleasure leaving her lips. “Oh my, who made this wonderful piece?”

"No idea; I doubt they're still alive, considering how I found it." Jin's remark made Fleur raise a brow in understanding.

“Repair charms?” She smirked.

Jin matched her look. “Yup, found it in a place that mostly keeps things intact over time. Must have been there for centuries.”

“A temporal storage?” Fleur’s eyes shone with interest. “And where would such a place be?”

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jin chuckled with amusement at her immediate pout. "Maybe I'll tell you if you finish explaining about House Elves."

"Oh, right." Fleur waved a dainty hand as she recalled what she'd learned in her studies. "House Elves aren't really that numerous. They breed as rarely as any other magical species, and it's documented that they breed even less without a healthy source of Mana. Considering that…"

Here, she hesitated for a moment before pushing through.

"Well, Magical Britain is known for many things, their xenophobic ways more than most. The way they treat House Elves is actually illegal in many other magical communities, and the British are known to have to import most of the House Elves you see in noble families."

Jin blinked at the surprising trivia. "Doesn't Hogwarts employ over a hundred of them?"

"It does." Fleur nodded and sat up slightly, taking on a lecturing tone. "Hogwarts is somewhat famous for being a refuge for House Elves that have nowhere else to go; the ley lines the school sits on are far richer than those of other schools and are capable of supporting a large number of their kind. However, it's been theorized that House Elves require Mana from a Wizard or Witch to conceive, as any House Elf that is sustained by a leyline has been unable to breed.”

“Tastes like gruel.” Jin mumbled the words Gol had once said to him when he asked why he didn’t go to Hogwarts.

“What was that?” Fleur asked curiously.

 "Nothing." Jin waved it off and rose from his crouch. "I'm gonna take a quick shower, and then I'll get started on breakfast; feel free to relax."

“Oh~?” Fleur licked her lips as she leaned on an arm, stretching out across the couch teasingly, and eyed him up shamelessly. “Is it a free show?”

She giggled to herself as she watched him trip at the sight of her tightening robes for a moment before he fired back.

"Participation only, I'm afraid." The smoldering look he sent back made her flush and look away. "You gotta work on your defense, Sparkles."

Jin waved over his shoulder as he walked into the bathroom.

“Offense is the best defense.” She shot back without looking, too flustered to tease further.

"Defense is what friends are for." His returning comment through the door sent flutters through her stomach before the water turned on, leaving her to her own devices.

‘Friends… stupid, sexy man.’ Fleur grumbled with flushed cheeks. ‘I completely forgot why I even came here in the first place. He makes being angry seem so silly. Ugh, I’m a lost cause, Maman.’

All the teasing Fleur fired at her mother for falling for Fleur’s father within a month was coming back to nip at her like vengeful wasps. ‘I’ve never had a male target for my lust before.’

Veela were creatures of fire and passion, and lust was one of the greatest expressions of passion.

Fleur had kept that side of herself in check all these years with help from her conclave, but Jin was the first to make her want to let it out.

The dull embers she reduced her lust to ignited in flames in his presence, tempting her to push him until he ravaged her delightfully, but Jin wouldn’t cross that line with her, not that she wasn’t having a great deal of fun pushing him toward said line.

It was as vexing as it was emboldening to see his desire for her match her desire for him, yet both were too prideful to back off and cool down.

‘Lust isn’t love. I don’t have to wait three months to scratch an itch.’

With that self-encouragement, Fleur stood from the couch and looked around again, seeing the place was mostly bare aside from tastefully set leather furniture, rugs, and an assortment of gleaming axes on the wall.

'He's only been here for a few months; after all, not much time to express oneself.' She flittered around the cabin like a curious bird. 'It's warm and cozy, though. Much better than the steaming kettle of pressure the school carriage is like.'

A smile graced Fleur's lips as she unconsciously felt safe enough to let her hair down.

Her eyes fell on an open doorway into what was obviously the bedroom. However, it wasn’t the large four-post bed that caught her gaze, but the worktable against a wall.

Fleur bit her thumb in curiosity and glanced back to make sure the water was still running as she stepped into the room, eyes widening at the assortment of Curse Breaking instruments set out.

'My, my…'

The Curse Breaker’s Box was as familiar to her as the one she had at home, having wanted to be a Curse Breaker before she realized enchanting was more to her talents, not that she had given up on the path.

Curse Breaking was just another side of enchanting, after all.

'He even has the same model as me.’

An unconscious grin stretched across Fleur's cheeks for reasons she couldn't identify as her eyes wandered over the gathered items.

A few standard identification tools for curses, a couple of index tomes for beginner-to-intermediate counter-curses, and…

Fleur's eyes landed on an open leather-bound journal, a quill propped between its pages to hold it open.

'I shouldn't…'

The water still ran in the background, and Fleur knew she should be respecting Jin's privacy more. Still, her curiosity was her weakness as she was drawn to take a look.

At first, it was just idle curiosity to see what Jin might be working on, but that quickly changed as she really took in what was written along the pages.

‘What in the…’ Mathematical equations covered the page in an organized mess that she could just barely understand. ‘These are Arithmetic equations. And the sheer complexity…’

Fleur was in awe.

She had taken Arithmancy as a course. It wasn't her specialty, but she knew enough to see how little she knew about what lay before her.

Her brilliant mind began to dissect parts of his notes, trying to make sense of the whole, and she became entirely absorbed in the content.

Before she knew it, she was sitting at the desk, turning the pages as she tried to follow along with the sheer lunacy of the brilliance before her, time passing unbidden without conscious thought.

“Having fun?”

"Eep!"

Jin's neutral voice by her ear made Fleur jump out of her seat, whipping around with an apology forming on her lips before they clicked shut as she took in the sight of Jin in a towel.

"Eerrrr..." 

"I'll take that as a yes." Jin's eyes crinkled in amusement, a teasing look that snapped Fleur out of her momentary guilt for snooping.

"Don't sneak up on me." Fleur swallowed and hid her face from the eyes down with the journal. "You almost gave me a heart attack." 

Jin pointedly looked at his journal held in her hands. "Says the woman snooping through my stuff."

"That's that, and this is this." She huffed and made no effort to hide how she eyed him like a piece of meat, leaning forward with an excited gleam. "Is it Christmas already?"

"Nice deflection." Jin snorted and lightly pushed her head away from his personal space before turning to open his closet. "And unless you've forgotten, you're in my room, Sparkles."

"I do not sparkle!" Fleur glared at him until he gave her a look that made her turn around to give him some privacy. "But I apologize for entering without permission."

"Not for reading my stuff?" Jin casually asked while throwing on some clothes. 

"Non!" Fleur's impassioned response called back. "This work is magnifique."

Jin’s responding grunt didn’t offer an opinion.

She cracked the journal back open to study the equations. "Is it truly yours?" 

"Yeah." He walked up beside her, sliding on a button-down flannel shirt. "I told you Arithmancy is a bit of a hobby of mine."

“You call this a bit of a hobby?” Fleur asked incredulously, staring up at Jin while waving the book in the air. “I’ve taken four years of Arithmancy courses, and while it's not my focus, I can still barely understand some of the work you have here.”

"It's not exactly neat work." Jin avoided eye contact, slightly embarrassed by how genuine Fleur's praise was. "It's just some idle thoughts."

“If this is an idle thought, I fear to see your focused work.” She pointed to a line of equations. “What does this part do? It looks familiar.”

Jin read along where she pointed and translated it. “It’s a conversion.”

“That detailed?!” Fleur asked incredulously. “What requires that many specifics?”

A proud smirk crossed Jin’s lips. “The Light Charm.”

“Do you take me for an idiot?” Fleur deadpanned back.

Jin was tempted to say something witty, but relented under the honestly offended look she sent him. “Try doing the Charm without a wand.”

"How would you expect me to do that?" Fleur blinked at Jin's expression, then turned back to the page, running it through her head before her eyes widened in shock. "You removed the wand layer?!"

“The layer is stupid.” Was Jin’s sound argument.

“Stupid? What kind of inane reason is that?” Fleur looked at him like he was crazy. “Do you have any idea why that layer is so vital to spell casting?”

Jin opened his mouth to respond with an insulting comment about laziness, then clicked his teeth shut as he considered the question.

He had been wondering what a student of Arithmancy with a formal education would say. “Enlighten me.”

Fleur’s eyes narrowed as she checked to see if he was being serious. “You really don’t know?”

“I’m self-taught.” He admitted.

"That's as terrifying as it is amazing." Fleur sighed and gently tugged him down into the desk chair, then sat on the desk a few feet away so she could look him in the eyes. "You know of the importance of the order of spell layers, correct?"

“Of course.” Jin nodded. “The closer the layer to the core, the larger of an impact it has on the spell as a whole.”

"Correct." Fleur smiled and flicked her wand, the tip lighting up as she cast the Light Charm. "The wand layer of a spell formula is almost always within the first two layers. It's not only to strengthen the connection between spell and wand and lower the cost of a spell, but it's to focus the spell for what you want it to do."

She pointed her wand at a wall, making the beam of light from her wand expand into a cone before compacting into a basic laser pointer. “I did that by first casting the spell and then willing my intent to change the outcome. The wand layer allows us to alter the effects of a spell once cast with our will.”

“I see.” Jin rubbed his chin. “I assumed it was more limited than that, but while interesting, that doesn’t tell me why removing the wand layer is so shocking.”

“Why?” Fleur flicked off the light. “Because without it, the usefulness of a wand is halved. And even if you could cast a spell, how would you control it to do as you will?”

"You program it into the spell matrix." Jin answered simply.

“That would be insane.” Fleur scoffed. “You would need to memorize hundreds of equations and be capable of bringing the right combination to mind within a certain timeframe to be of any use in casting.”

Jin nodded. “Exactly.”

“Exactly.” Fleur repeated.

“…”

“…”

Jin tapped the side of his head. “Did you forget what I am?”

“What you ar-.” Fleur froze at the realization, eyes opening wide. “An Occamy?”

“Yes, it makes it easier to…” Jin’s brow twitched as his brain processed what she said. He slowly reached up and flicked her forehead. “You did that on purpose.”

“Maybe.” She snatched his hand and winked teasingly, then dropped her joking tone. “Can you truly recall any formula you wish to?”

Jin hummed. “Never met an Occlumens before?”

"Non, it is an incredibly rare trait, and one many professions and races seek out. If one does appear, they are gobbled up by a clan, organization, or Ministry before they can blink." Fleur didn't meet his eyes, looking to the side. "Even Veela are known to latch onto them in hopes of a decent relationship."

“Huh, didn’t know that.” Jin was starting to feel the world wasn’t as stupid as he imagined. “Please keep my information private.”

“Of course.” Fleur stared him in the eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world, generating a warm feeling in Jin’s chest. “You’re mine to gobble up.”

Only for that warm feeling to pack up and walk south.

Fleur tugged on his hand. "Now answer my question, please."

“Right.” Jin coughed into his fist, slightly taken aback by her directness. “Yes, I can control a Charm to do as I will with my mind without a wand. As long as I pre-emptively memorize the formula and take the time to set it up right, I can cycle through equations as necessary.”

"That's…" Fleur was at a loss for words as she gazed at him like one would a fascinating creature. "Cheating.”

"Says the bird who can use mind-controlling pheromones whenever she wants." Jin rolled his eyes.

“I never said cheating was bad, little one.” Fleur tsked in a high and mighty tone as she poked him with her pantyhose-clad toes, her robes rolling up her legs and revealing more of the sinfully enticing cloth-covered skin beneath. "We all have our gifts." 

Jin's eyes narrowed at the bird trying to get a rise out of him, and he grabbed the offending appendage. "I told you to be careful with what you stick out at me, woman."

"What are you gonna do about it, man?" Fleur's eyes sparked with mischief that soon turned to surprise as Jin pressed on the bottom of her sole. “Ohh~.”

A sinful moan left her lips as Jin trapped her foot in his lap with a sudden massage, working his fingers into the soft flesh of her sole.

Jin idly commented. “I am not allowed to use a wand to cast magic by law, so I removed the need for one.”

"But even still." Fleur paused to breathe deeply through her nose, her chest unintentionally puffed out as she moved. "Removing the wand means manually calling on one's Mana, controlling the output, inputting the spell parameters, casting, aiming, and more. How can one mind do all of that at once?”

"Practice." Jin grunted as Fleur's other foot plopped into his lap, and he gave a dry look at the shamelessly expectant expression on the beautiful blonde's face. "It's not as hard as it seems once you get the hang of it."

He removed his hand from her grasp and snapped his fingers, summoning a ball of light in his palm, the perfect sphere reflecting in Fleur’s enraptured pupils.

Jin noted her speechless expression. "Almost second nature, really."

Fleur stopped trying to get a rise out of him and focused entirely on the ball of light. “You can really cast wandlessly.”

“Why is that a surprise?” Jin raised a brow. “You’ve seen me cast magic before.”

“That was different.” She waved him off and kept staring at the light. “I didn’t see you so blatantly cast, and I admittedly had other things on my mind at the time. You could have been wearing a focusing ring, pendant, bracelet or such that are popular in other nations. Unless one learns wandless casting from a young age, it’s supposed to be incredibly difficult for all but the strongest.”

“Or the oldest with scholarly pursuits.” Jin countered and ended his spell. “Once you get the math down, it’s just about utilizing your Mana control without a wand to do the heavy lifting. It’s even easier for people like us.”

“Like us?” Fleur blinked the spots out of her eyes and resumed wiggling her feet in Jin’s lap with an expectant grin. “Who is us, hmm?”

“Those with Mana naturally running to our skin.” Jin sighed and gave in to the pushy woman, running his fingers along her calves to dig into the muscles beneath. “If you can feel that flow, gathering Mana to our palms is easy to train for speed and power; it just takes conscious effort and time."

“Perhaps.” Fleur shuddered in delight at the feeling of his rough hands. “But that changes little if we cannot cast a spell through our mind. A single mistake could result in varied effects or a backlash.”

Jin knew she meant a spell rebounding on its caster, a real risk.

“I don’t make mistakes.” Jin answered.

Fleur’s lidded eyes landed on him. “I somehow doubt that.”

A scoff left Jin’s lips. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

“Hmm.” Fleur poked his chest with her foot, pushing aside the buttons of his shirt to feel his skin beneath in a move that couldn’t have been as sensual on a non-Veela woman. “How much of that is due to your thick skin?”

“A lot.” Jin growled at her thickening scent and clamped down on his urges with an iron will. “Stop that.”

"Stop what?" Fleur asked innocently, a teasing look in her eyes, as she ran her second foot along his thigh.

“You know what.”

“Say it~.”

Electricity sparked between their gazes, one trying to keep the lid on his desires and the other egging them on with the delicious feeling of finally winning over the man who kept teasing her.

Jin’s brow twitched. “Get over here.”

“Wa-?! Jin!” Fleur squeaked.

One second, Fleur was sitting on the desk facing him.

The next, her back was pressed flush against Jin's chest as he captured the dangerous woman in his lap with an arm around her waist.

"Sit still." He growled in her ear, sending a flush down Fleur's neck as she obediently stopped, a thrilling ember traveling along her spine at the commanding tone. “You’re pushing too hard, Fleur.”

“Do you not desire me?” She felt the bulge beneath her and knew he did, her Allure bubbling with the need to ensnare him. “Why do you hold yourself back?”

“That’s not the right question.” Jin rested his chin atop her head, closing his eyes as he resisted the mental pheromones that slipped out of her in waves, using them to offset his own instincts. “The real question is if you want to risk rushing things?”

Jin wasn’t shy about jumping her right then and there.

He had been tempted by older seventh-year students for a month before Fleur appeared, and her presence was just adding oil to a flame that fought his self-control daily.

But he was mature enough to know his time in the dimension was limited and that, like him, Fleur had her own dreams and plans for the future. 

So the real question was whether a quick fling to cool their emotions was worth risking the future possibility they both felt but hesitated to act on.

“…” Fleur struggled with her inner passion for a moment, feeling it ignite with a need to demand he take her before her rational side won out after a monumental effort. ‘Merde, he’s right.’

Urges she had been restraining for years wanted to lash out, yet Fleur grabbed his steady arm and breathed.

She relaxed against Jin's chest, his steady heartbeat settling her like a lighthouse in a stormy sea. "I'm sorry."

“It’s fine, you’re stressed out.” Jin gently tightened his hold on her. “If you need me, I’m here; just be sure it’s what you want.”

He softly nuzzled her head as his instincts demanded. “I think… I can be a bit possessive.”

His unsure tone confused Fleur for a moment.

“So can I.” She leaned her head back and smiled softly. “I’m unused to being able to express my passionate side; it can be overwhelming."

"You're telling me." Jin huffed like a bull through his nose, rustling her hair and tickling her neck. “I almost tore your clothes off.”

"That would be such a shame." Fleur deadpanned, clearly unbothered, as she unconsciously crossed her legs. "Thankfully, we have the Repair Charm."

“Fleur.” Jin warned.

“Alright, I’ll behave.” Fleur chuckled and brought one of Jin’s hands to her lips. “Merci, Jin. I do not believe I would have wished to rush… this.”

“I agree.” Jin responded firmly, eyes closed as his hand intertwined with Fleur's. Her scent was both intoxicating and calming him in cycles. “Let’s change the subject.”

“Oui.” A smile graced Fleur’s lips as she felt Jin keep his tight grip around her, making no move to let go. "You never explained why you went through all that effort for a simple Light Charm."

“Worth it.” Jin exhaled and held up a hand in front of her. "You see simple; I see potential."

He snapped, and before Fleur's eyes, a hummingbird made of light took shape, flapping silent wings as if sentience was given form.

“What?” Fleur blinked in astonishment, other thoughts banished as she reached out to poke the light construct, only for her hand to pass through it as it fluttered and took flight, circling the two in a lifelike manner. "How did you do that?"

Fleur’s passion was reignited, but this time, it was her scholarly curiosity rather than her lust.

“Arithmancy.” Jin’s gaze shone with a scholarly passion to match hers, equations flashing through his mind like lightning. "Light is so much more than just something to illuminate the darkness."

The two nerds drifted off into their own world, lost in a sea of magical discussion, until their stomachs rumbled in protest, forcing them to smile sheepishly and head to the kitchen, where Fleur helped Jin make breakfast.

“You can’t just fight a curse like that.” Fleur held her fork like a wand. “You need to coax it to sleep, or it will fight to the bitter end.”

One thing led to another, and the two ended up discussing Jin's work in progress, the Cleansing Flame Charm; final title pending.

It wasn't exactly a secret, but it wasn't something Jin was eager to have known.

Still, he couldn't pass up the chance to discuss his work with someone he felt he could trust, for some inane desire to keep his secrets.

To say Fleur was floored that Jin was making his own Charm alteration would be an understatement, but knowing he was doing it with the Patronus Charm made her need to step outside to cool off and avoid jumping him all over again.

Intellectual prowess was as much a turn-on for her as everything else about Jin.

“I’ve tried dozens of combinations, but no other layer seems to fit.” Jin argued. “Some have gotten close, but it's not enough."

"Of course, it's not enough, you silly man." Fleur pointed at the drawn spell matrix; the used plates having been moved aside to continue their discussion. “You took out the emotional supply layer.”

“Emotions are risky and unstable.” Jin grumbled around his pipe, having pulled it out to better help him think. “I was having issues with utilizing it and didn’t see how it served a purpose that pure Mana couldn’t.”

Fleur deadpanned at him, tempted to snap the pipe out of his mouth. “Jin, what is a curse?”

“A negatively charged spell that can overpower or feed on a target's Mana to cause a harmful effect or sustain itself.” Jin supplied. “It can also be inserted into an enchanted item, ward, or person to feed on it like a tumor and wait for an activation phase set by its caster.”

“Yes, yes, very textbook.” Fleur waved a hand and smirked at Jin's annoyed twitch. "Now focus on how it's charged. You said it yourself."

"You mean with negative emotion?" Jin frowned thoughtfully as he immediately understood where she was going. "Are you saying it needs an infusion of positive emotions to cancel it out? I tried using the basic Patronus Charm and couldn't get it to work."

“Yes and no, you don’t need nearly as much emotional focus as casting the Patronus Charm.” Fleur grimaced. “Once a curse latches onto you, you’ll need its counter to fight it off. Positive emotion will not help you there. However, if you approach a curse before it goes off, you can use positively charged Mana to lull it so it can be dismantled without it actively fighting back.”

Jin pulled on his pipe as he thought it over. "Is that how Curse Breakers usually deal with things?"

"Oui. Many have their own secrets and methods, but it is generally accepted as a standard way Curse Breakers buy time to handle a curse. The positive emotions dull the curse's awareness, so to speak, but it doesn't stop it from activating if you poke the wrong spot."

Fleur twirled a lock of hair between her fingers as she took in the pleasant aroma of the herbs Jin always smoked. “And what is that delightful scent you’ve been smoking for weeks? It’s been on the tip of my tongue.”

“Dragonheart Root, I told you about it after our first race.” Jin absently answered as he looked over his notes.

'How did I miss that? I thought all that talk of positive emotions was just hot air from light-magic purists. I never considered using a weaker version of an emotional layer. I didn’t even realize that was possible. If that's true, then I'll have to rework the layers of the formula to fit it in, but where?’

Jin thought over his issue as equations formed and changed within his mind, completely missing the odd look Fleur sent him.

“Dragonheart Root?” The blond sent him an odd look. “I thought I had misheard you the first time you told me. Why ever would you smoke that?”

“Hm?” Jin looked up and noticed her odd gaze. “What do you mean? It’s calming and helps me think.”

“It does?” Her odd look turned thoughtful. “But that would mean that… but how… oh, that would make sense…" She trailed off, lost in thought.

Jin twitched at the reaction, having noticed the same odd look in McGonagall's gaze and in a few of the students he had offhandedly mentioned it to while helping Hagrid.

“Why is it so odd?" Jin removed the pipe and looked at the slowly burning herbs. “The shopkeeper at the smoke shop told me it has calming effects.”

"Of course it does." Fleur shot back, snapping out of her thoughts and covering her mouth with a hand to hide a smirk. "On cats."

Jin blinked. “Sinfully sexy blond bird says what now?"

Fleur snorted and lightly kicked him under the table in jest. "It's used to calm down magical cats, Jin. The shopkeeper probably thought you were buying it for Shadow. I’m assuming you mentioned you had a Kneazle?”

“I did.” Jin’s brow furrowed as he thought back. “Shadow jumped me the second I got back from buying it. But I lit up a pipe in his shop to test it; why didn’t the shopkeeper say anything?”

“Because wizards are weird?” Fleur wasn’t even bothering to restrain her snickering by now. “Maybe he didn’t care, or he thought you were another weirdo, or he assumed you were buying it for Shadow, or any other reason.”

Jin hated that he couldn’t deny those points.

Fleur continued. “It's not harmful to humans and can still be smoked; it’s just usually used by beast handlers and those with cat familiars, usually in proximity to said cat.”

Her snickering wasn’t helping Jin as he thought back to everyone who asked him about it, and the weird looks they sent him after he answered.

“Shit.” Jin muttered.

"You were smoking without Shadow around, weren't you?" The shit-eating grin Fleur gave him drew a grunt of agreement. "It's ok, Jin. It still smells delightful. It’s more odd than anything.”

"That hardly helps my case." Jin covered his forehead in shame. "Were those admiring looks I thought I was getting actually pointed at me smoking magical catnip?"

“Probably not.” Fleur patted his arm comfortingly. “Few people would recognize the name and purpose as anything more than another herb to smoke. Only cat owners and the odd advanced herbology students would notice.”

A wince left Jin’s lips.

“What?” Fleur leaned in with slight concern.

Jin’s face scrunched up. “I told McGonagall.”

His reply made Fleur's hand freeze mid-comfort before she turned away and burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny.” Jin grumbled and crossed his arms.

“You told Britain’s most notorious cat Animagus!” Fleur would have fell off her chair if Jin hadn’t grabbed the armrest and pulled her toward him. “How forward of you, Jin. She must be too embarrassed to say anything!”

"Yeah, yeah." Jin glared without heat, his face flushed, recalling the odd looks the boss bitch had occasionally been shooting him since that night the students arrived. "Is this going to be an issue?"

“Non, non.” Fleur buried her face in his shoulder and shook with muffled laughter. “You have a Kneazle, so no one would say anything. To your face, that is."

Despite her words, she kept slapping his chest in tune with her laughs.

“Fleur.” He growled down at her, feeling her taps more on his pride than his body. “My face is right here.”

“So, it is.” She tilted her head up to look at him, eyes filled with mirth as she raised a hand to rub along his jawline. "I like the scent, Mon Chat; it's somehow fitting for you."

Jin deadpanned at the nickname, having spent long enough around her to understand pieces of French. “You are not calling me ‘your cat', Fleur.”

“What if I am?” She challenged with a glint in her eyes. “Don’t I sparkle enough for it?”

Jin’s eyes flashed for a moment. “You’re sparkling right now.”

He raised a hand to her cheek, feeling the Allure pulse like a physical heat. “You’re sparkling a whole lot.”

"Impossible." Fleur replied breathlessly as she leaned into his touch, eyes lidded. "My Allure wouldn’t activate on its own.”

“Not without stimulation.” Jin’s voice grew heavy.

Their lips inched closer to one another in a haze not fueled by lust, but something deeper, pulled in by a gravitational force that seemed to arrest their bodies, stopping just a hair's width apart as Fleur whispered back with a pleading command.

“Then stimulate me.”

Jin's lips closed over her own, and the world faded away.

0000

“It works.” Jin marveled at the sight of the red tumor of a curse evaporating beneath spectral flames. “It really works.”

His eyes were glued to the glass box before him as a pendant glowed with neutral Mana, its original enchantment retained and currently restoring itself without a cursed parasite polluting it. “It works!”

"Amazing." Fleur breathed from beside him, having watched Jin operate on a curse in a way she'd never seen or heard of before. "You really did it."

Jin laughed and stood out of his desk chair, turning to grab the blond beside him and lift her in a cheer. "It works, Fleur! I'm not crazy! My ideas are possible!"

He had been walking uncharted territory with nothing more than a crazy idea and belief in his arithmetic capability.

“So it seems.” Fleur laughed along with him, embracing his excitement like a shroud. “Congratulations, Jin. You’ve just created a new variation of the Patronus Charm.”

Cleansing Flames.

A combination of Bluebell Flames, Patronus, and the Eradication Charm, fueled by Mana and positive emotion, all to create a unique effect of cleansing curses from where they took root.

A revolutionary Charm by all standards, as not only did it incorporate the notoriously difficult-to-understand Patronus Charm, a Charm with fewer than five known examples of successful variations, but it specifically targeted curses in a way that magical kind simply didn't approach.

Curses required counter-curses, overwhelming force, or specific solutions to specific problems; that was simply what was known.

Putting together a general Charm capable of affecting curses across a broad spectrum was unheard of.

A glint entered Jin's eyes as he pulled the blond in and seized her lips, taking them for all she was worth as Fleur gave as good as she got, breathless.

The two had been all over each other since their first kiss hours before.

What started at the table moved to the couch yet stayed strictly tame under their agreement to take things slow. With their understanding not to give in to lust just yet, the two embraced the pure positive emotions they felt and let it run its course.

It was almost comical how Jin's brain worked through the solution Fleur provided for his Charm while they explored the other's mouth, hands roaming and groping in curious exploration.

Jin had paused mid-moment and shot up, eyes wide as a lightbulb of thought had him scrambling to his journal to write down his thoughts.

Fleur had a moment to be baffled, then insulted, then amazed, and finally exasperated as she watched Jin enter a fervor and rush to his desk to try out the Charm.

Five attempts and tweaks later, with Fleur providing minor assistance, the Charm worked, and Jin went back to attacking her lips before he pulled apart and rested his forehead against hers. "No, we created it."

“Cute.” Fleur rolled her eyes in amusement. “All I did was help you brainstorm. Clarifying your issues with basic knowledge every Curse Breaker knows doesn’t count toward helping create a charm, Jin.”

"Well, I say it does." Jin insisted. "Creator's rules."

“What a foolish creator.” Fleur breathed.

Jin pecked her. “I’ll make sure to quote that in the history books.”

"You better not!" Fleur chuckled, then gently pushed him away. "Seriously, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't want false credit."

“I was just joking.” Jin immediately noticed her displeasure and raised a hand in defense. “I doubt I’m even going to document this spell; it’s not like I want the attention.”

“You should.” Fleur tilted her head thoughtfully. “It would make you quite famous. Might even get your Ministry to give you that wand license they had been postponing.”

And wasn’t that a loaded topic.

Jin had offhandedly mentioned it when Fleur asked why he didn’t use a wand, and the woman was rightly pissed at the xenophobic reasons mimicking her own issues with their society.

“I’d rather not.” Jin waved it away and sat against his desk, idly pressing the rune to charge the Curse Breaking Box. “I don’t even need a wand anymore. Might get a ring or something, but you don’t need a license for the ‘lesser’ modes of casting magic in Britain."

Jin would have considered it part of their lack of common sense, something that he confirmed through his circumstances was, in fact, a debuff on their kind, but there were still relevant laws.

Laws existed for 'lesser' magical foci that would only matter if someone committed a real crime, but nothing forbade owning and using one.

“The world doesn’t revolve around this cold, dreary island." Fleur rolled her eyes and looked into a mirror on Jin’s nightstand to fix her hair. “A wand license will qualify as a license for most any magical foci in other nations. A few have separate laws for the more powerful staves, but a wand license qualifies a magical for most other types. If you want to build a life for yourself somewhere else, it would be good to have it.”

Jin was thankful for Fleur’s distraction as he winced at the idea of building a life for himself.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought of what life could be like without a time limit above his head, but he hadn't let himself get sucked into such a depressing topic and instead focused on the moment.

“I’ll think about it.” Jin ultimately shrugged, crossing his arms as he focused back on the woman. “What was with the reaction to getting credit, though? I thought you said you wanted recognition?”

“Not for something I didn’t do.” Fleur shot him a heated look through the mirror. “When I’m recognized, it will be for my own efforts. I won’t let them say a Veela needed a wizard to hold her hand.”

For too long, her efforts had been played off as the success of others. “I’ll make them recognize Fleur Delacour, the Veela Enchantress.”

“Enchantress?” Jin raised an amused brow. “What happened to those claims of being a Curse Breaker, adventuring, and becoming the most powerful Veela the world has ever seen?”

Fleur had long since shared her dreams during her stress-relieving rants, and Jin enjoyed the adorable flush on her cheeks as she used the excuse to keep fixing her hair to avoid meeting his gaze.

“I’ll do those too.” She huffed and sent him a challenging look. “Why should I limit myself?”

“You shouldn’t.” Jin stepped up behind her. “But it sounds like you affirmed your career choice.”

“Oui.” Fleur smiled and leaned back against Jin’s chest as his hands rose to help her smooth out her hair. “Seeing you succeed at that Charm convinced me. I want to feel that same feeling of joy when I create something.”

Her voice tinged with an excited hunger. “I’ll prove my skills with results.”

"I believe you." Jin laid a kiss on her neck as his arms fell to wrap gently around her waist, his hands fitting her love handles as if they were made to hold them. "Burn anything in your path and chase your dreams, Fleur."

Fleur's blue eyes flicked to Jin's reflection, catching the honest faith in his eyes as he said those words, and her stomach fluttered in appreciation. "I will."

She closed her eyes and felt her body once more click into place like a puzzle piece against his frame, his thick Mana pulsing with the stability she so craved.

Her lips parted in a heartfelt smile as she felt his presence envelop her, and she spoke with far more emotion than the last time she said it.

“Mon Chat.”

Her meaning came across clearly with far more possessiveness.

“No.” Jin immediately growled in her ear. “That is not catching on.”

"Oh, you silly man." Fleur mockingly raised a hand over her shoulder to rub his cheek. "You say that as if you have a choice.”

“Cheeky.” Jin lightly but firmly tugged on her hair, pulling her head back to stare down into her excited eyes. “I already made my choice.”

Fleur breathed heavily through her nose, her pink tongue running sensually across her lips as she stared up at him, pressing her body into his as she whispered out her request. “Say it.”

Their gazes locked in a moment in time, countless emotions flashing behind each other's eyes in what could have been minutes in seconds.

And then he spoke the words she wished to hear.

“I chose you.”

Jin descended on her red lips, and the two were lost once more in a dance as old as time.

For better or worse, both of them made their choice, opting to attempt to insert the other into their dreams for the future.

It would be slow and steady; much was left unsaid, and much was still new, but for the time being, the two were happy to admit that from that moment on…

They were officially dating.

Chapter End.

AN: Hope you enjoyed!