Conflict of interest #14 (Harry/Bellatrix) (Patreon)

All characters are adults

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Chapter #14: Confusion.

Harry was walking calmly until he reached a home he knew very well, which was an ancient one and belonged to one of the most important families in wizarding Britain. He knocked and waited for a few moments.

“Harry!” A red-haired woman said with a huge smile.

“Mother,” Harry said happily.

“Hey, Harry,” his father appeared, and they shared a hug.

Minutes later, Harry was inside the home he grew up in, sitting with his parents at the main table of Potter Manor. It didn’t take long for Lily to bring snacks and tea. Harry was silent while his parents were looking at him with interested expressions. It wasn’t usual for him to visit them these days.

He was a recently wed man after all; he’s clearly been busy working towards the objective he shared with his wife. They had less than a year to fulfill it, and Lily still felt a bit weird that her son had to marry a woman who was even older than they were, but that’s the way things are in the magical world.

At a certain point, age becomes irrelevant; even if a couple has like fifty years of difference between them, it doesn’t make too much difference when one of them is one hundred, and the other is one hundred and fifty, so she decided not to think too much about the situation.

“So… How’s your marriage, son?” Lily finally asked the question.

Harry sighed.

“I don’t know how to feel about it, mother… I don’t think we could ever fall in love, but… I guess we’re starting to get comfortable with each other,” he admitted with a weak smile.

Lily and James shared a look; it wasn’t worry, it was something different. Harry looked at them and raised a brow.

“Is there something wrong with my face or...?” Asked Harry with a curious expression.

“Well…” Lily started.

“Son, you’re developing feelings towards Bellatrix, right?” Asked James with a concerned expression.

Harry wanted to shut their thoughts off, he was too embarrassed to talk about feelings but then, he started to think about his life with Bellatrix, it’s been a month since they got married and they’ve been through a lot of conflicts but at the same time, they’re getting closer and closer and it’s difficult for Harry not to think about her differently, he didn’t want to misunderstand things between them but that was easier said than done.

He was young and naïve; he knew that very well, and he couldn’t help but imagine scenarios in which he and Bellatrix could be something more than part of an arranged marriage, after all, neither of them had anything to lose.

“Maybe,” Harry said with a serious tone.

His parents weakly smiled at him.

“Son, I know feelings can be strange, but… You have to be careful; neither of you decided to marry on your own; you just fulfilled a duty that will finally end a rivalry that has destroyed countless lives throughout centuries,” Lily spoke with a calm tone.

She was the one who hated the idea of an arranged marriage the most because she found the love of her life during her school years, so she never thought about that. Even though she had some proposals from other pureblood wizards, she chose who to fall in love with.

“I know, I know it’s just that… She’s a wonderful woman, you know? Had the circumstances been different, I would’ve chased her on my own, I think,” Harry couldn’t help but admit.

“Well, then why don’t you try to take things to a new level?” Asked James with a raised brow.

“What do you mean, Dad?” Asked Harry with a confused expression.

“Well, if you truly want something… You need to fight for it, that’s what I did, and well… I ended up marrying the love of my life,” his father said before looking at Lily.

Harry nodded, now understanding what he had to do.

“If you truly want more, you should talk with her, who knows? Maybe she’s curious about trying something more? Or maybe she’ll give you a chance, who knows? You have one life, son, you need to follow your heart before you regret losing what you could have,” Lily spoke this time.

Harry remained silent for a few moments, and then he nodded. They were right, his parents were very good when it came to counseling him; they always knew what to say to make him feel better. He knows what to do now.

“You’re right… I can’t just stay like this and wait for the world to give me what I want… I need to work to get what I want,” Harry got on his feet. “I love you both. I need to go,” Harry said with a grin.

“Where are you going?” Lily asked even though she knew what was on her son’s mind.

“I’m going to visit my wife at work even though it's my day off, I want to take her on a date,” Harry told her with a grin.

“Good luck, son,” James encouraged him.

“Don’t forget to treat her properly!” His mother told him before he left the place.

His parents could only look at him with surprised expressions. They hated these traditions, but on the other hand, if things go well, the union between the Potter and Black families could bring a new era of peace that the magical world hasn't seen in a long time.

Harry left his folks' place and arrived in Diagon Alley looking for Bellatrix’s favorite food. He was imagining many scenarios about situations he could share with the older witch, like visiting her favorite places, making food for her, and how they would act when they become parents.

The marriage had a rough start, and it was expected of such a situation, but at least it seemed like they were starting to see each other differently. Harry knew the woman liked to pretend she was annoyed by him, but deep inside, he was able to see the love she was starting to develop for him.

Harry arrived at the ministry, and each step was making him more nervous than the previous, but he was motivated. He couldn’t help but smile as he walked inside the ministry. The place was very busy, and then he finally reached his department. He was surprised to find everyone outside.

“Hey guys, what’s going on? Why are you all outside?” Asked Harry with a confused expression.

He was looking for his wife; he brought her favorite dishes and her favorite dessert. Then he was surprised to find a team of healers carrying a guy’s body out of the office. He was starting to get worried as he saw everyone but his wife outside. He was surprised to see a shocked Lucius Malfoy amongst the affected people.

“Harry mate… Something awful happened,” Ron said frantically.

“Where’s Bellatrix Ron?” Harry asked with a worried expression.

“She saved us, mate… She’s at St. Mungos. There was this guy who came with information about the recent murders, but it was all a ruse… He came to blow up the place… Bellatrix saved us, but she faced the explosion alone… She’s being treated right now!” Ron told him with a serious expression.

Ron had noticed how his best friend was starting to develop feelings towards their boss, something Ron never thought possible. Harry decided to forget about everything. He then got out of the building as soon as possible. After that, he contacted his parents and her family. He needed to see her; he needed to know she was fine.