Power Plays Chapter 54

AN: All characters are over the age of eighteen at the time of this story.

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The quiet peace of Greengrass Manor was broken the moment that Daphne and Harry apparated inside. While he was thoroughly annoyed by Amelia’s antics too, Daphne was positively fuming. She kicked off her shoes angrily, sending them crashing into the wall.

“What a load of shite,” Daphne spat.

“Just because she was the first to announce her candidacy doesn’t mean anything,” Harry assured Daphne as he tempered his own feelings on the matter. It was more important that he keep Daphne calm—she was the one who had to charm Britain after all. “And I can guarantee you that there will be plenty of people who will see her negatively for breaking an established custom.”

“She’ll just spin it to show how unlike the former system she is,” Daphne retorted, more sharply than she likely intended. “She’s already setting herself up as someone who was chained down by Kingsley’s administration, and the sycophantic pure-bloods who care about formalities like this aren’t likely to vote for her anyway since she’s gone after so many of them in her career. It was a smart move.”

“It won’t be enough though,” Harry countered gently. “Amelia is stern and stiff. You’re charismatic and clever. You’ll win over the masses, not her.”

“She’s clever too,” Daphne argued. “And she’ll find ways of eating into my voter base. Plus, your public support might cause problems now. You know how close she and Proudfoot have gotten over the past several months. They’re suspicious of you, and they’ll leverage that into their campaign.”

“I think you’re underselling our potential in this election.”

“No, I’m not,” Daphne stated firmly, as though there was no debate to be had. “I’m young, which will make people doubt me. I’ve had a solid showing in the Wizengamot since I joined, but I’m still very new to the public. People are going to say that I’m riding off of your coattails to win this election.”

“Then you’ll just have to show them how competent you are,” Harry said. “Make waves in the Wizengamot. Whip them into shape and show the public that you know how to lead. I know you’re capable of it; remember how you orchestrated the entire plan to get your father removed from the Wizengamot? People will respect you for taking action like that.”

“You make it all sound so simple,” Daphne sighed in frustration.

“Because it is,” Harry replied as he stepped up and took Daphne’s hands into his own. “You have to remember that appearances are a major way to win over the public. The ways that Rita helps me out in the press shows that how you spin things plays a big part into the public’s perception of you. We’ll make you look like a shining star of hope and progress out there, and you’ll prove that you are one in the Wizengamot.”

“Daphne? Is that you?”

Daphne pulled away from him just as Astoria waddled into the corridor, clutching her heavily-pregnant belly to relieve some of the stress on her back. Her dark hair was done up in a messy bun, and she had a warm glow on her cheeks.

The ritual they’d found in Emile’s base in Paris had worked like a charm. It’d been a relatively simple process, requiring little more than some herbs, runes drawn in a magical circle, and a pair of trained medi-witches to oversee the ritual. Draco had been the only one also allowed in the room during the ritual in order to minimise the chance of any accidental interference, and he’d told Harry that he’d never felt as much relief in his life before when the medi-witches confirmed that Astoria’s blood curse had been purged from her body. Their baby also had the lingering blood curse removed from its body. Daphne and Anastasia would be getting the same treatment soon as well, finally ending the curse upon the Greengrass bloodline.

“Astoria!” Daphne exclaimed in concern as she hurried over to her sister’s side. “You shouldn’t be on your feet. You’re due any day now.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t walk around my own house,” Astoria pouted. “I haven’t felt this good in all my life. I’ve already spent plenty of time these past few months laying in beds.”

“Does Draco agree with that?” Daphne asked knowingly.

“He knows better than to disagree with me to my face,” Astoria rolled her eyes. “Besides, I think he’s happy seeing me with this much life in me.”

“We all are,” Harry interjected. “Is Draco with Delphini right now?”

“Mm hmm,” Astoria nodded. “And mum’s there too, just down the hall.”

Harry wrapped an arm around Daphne’s waist and pulled her forward, hoping that his touch would help to soothe her anger. The three of them walked down towards the sitting room that’d more or less been turned into Delphini’s playroom on this floor of the manor. It was close to the kitchens and the formal dining room, which made it convenient for Hobsy to bring them snacks whenever they needed.

A crackling fire was going in the fireplace when they walked into the cosy room. Draco was sitting on the floor next to Delphini, who was currently waving her hands around to make wooden blocks float up high to stack atop the building she was constructing.

Only seven years old and this was what she was capable of. Her control over wandless magic was something unlike Harry had ever seen before. It’d taken some research, but he’d found out that children in many African countries learned wandless magic by emulating their parents. Wandless magic was much more common in Africa, and it was even taught to and preferred by students at Uagadou School of Magic. But even some of the most amazing reports Harry had read indicated that children there were only capable of simpler magics consistently. Delphini’s regular conjuration of stuffed creatures was beyond what was even expected of students going into the O.W.L.s.

Harry knew if word got out about her talents that it’d only stoke more fear in the hearts of the citizens of Britain. Knowing how proficient the daughter of Voldemort was at wandless magic would seed fears of what she would be capable of once she got her hands on her wand.

But Harry didn’t see it that way, and he hoped that he and Daphne would be able to eventually convince the population at large of that fact. Sure, she was a talented young girl, but that didn’t mean that she’d use her magic for evil like her parents did. From all the time he’d spent with her and everything that he’d heard from Narcissa before her passing, Delphini was a precocious, intelligent, and kind-hearted girl who always looked to solve problems by building bridges rather than burning them.

“Hello, Delphini,” Harry smiled as he walked into the room.

“Hi,” Delphini smiled shyly back at him before redirecting her focus to carefully placing the next wooden block.

It took Harry a moment before a feeling of surprise passed through his body. He hadn’t quite recognised what Delphini was building until he got a closer look at it, but now that he had, he recognised it as an unmistakable replica of Rowle Manor, the place she’d been trapped for so long.

Evidently, he was the only one to notice that something was wrong, because Daphne simply helped Astoria over to the sofa next to their mother while Draco conjured another pile of wooden bricks for Delphini to use.

He knew that he ought to say something, at least acknowledge what Delphini was building, but he didn’t want to stress out Daphne or Astoria anymore than they already were. He’d never really spoken to Delphini much about the night that he and Susan had rescued her from Rowle Manor, nor did he even know how much she remembered about that time. The quiet girl they’d brought back had quickly opened up under Narcissa’s purview, and Harry hadn’t given it any more thought.

Harry would have to talk to her about it sometime though. When the election campaign was underway, Delphini would eventually need to attend events with them. As much as he wished to keep her away from politics, the reality was that after announcing that he and Daphne would be raising Delphini, she’d become intertwined with their public life.

He sat down on the floor next to Draco, who looked like he’d regained years onto his life since Astoria was cured of her blood curse. The dark bags under his eyes were gone and his skin had regained a healthier sheen.

“Everything alright?” Draco asked him quietly with a look that told Harry that he’d noticed something was wrong.

“Mostly,” Harry replied. “We can talk about it another time.”

Draco nodded and conjured another handful of blocks for Delphini. The manor was truly coming together. She was onto the second floor and was rapidly building up the outer frame of it. The facade of the expansive walls was exactly as Harry remembered.

“I’m sorry that we won’t be around for Daphne’s announcement speech tomorrow,” Draco said as he pushed the blocks towards Delphini. She had a clear look of determination on her face as she levitated two blocks in the air at once and moved them into position. “With Astoria being as close to giving birth as she is—”

“You don’t have to justify yourself to me,” Harry interjected softly. “I understand. You two have been through a lot lately; you deserve to rest. Have you heard anything about your dad?”

Draco let out a long sigh. “He’s still not speaking to anyone or eating very much last I heard. I think mum’s death broke whatever was left of him. St Mungo’s won’t release him even though his injuries are all healed up. They’re trying to get him to see a healer that specialises in mental issues and grief, but he refuses to interact at all during the sessions he’s forced into. I think they’re worried about what he might do if they let him out…”

“Maybe staying there is the best thing for him right now,” Harry grimaced. “It’ll still be some time before Malfoy Manor is fixed up, and I doubt he’d be very happy living in an unfamiliar home.”

“I’m hoping he’ll come by when Astoria goes into labour,” Draco said. “Maybe having a grandchild will help snap him out of whatever is plaguing him.”

“I hope so too,” Harry said sympathetically. Lucius was a vile person, but he’d been harmless for years now. He deserved plenty of punishment for what he’d done during and before the war, but Harry figured that the man had suffered enough after wallowing in self-pity for years.

Daphne was whispering something hurriedly to Astoria and Anastasia when she suddenly stood up and locked eyes with Harry. He knew what the look in her eyes meant: they needed to speak alone.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Harry told Draco and Delphini as he stood up and followed Daphne out.

They walked in silence upstairs until they reached Daphne’s bedroom. Harry knew better than to prompt Daphne before she was ready to speak, but what he hadn’t anticipated was that she didn’t intend to speak at all.

As soon as they got inside, Daphne closed the door behind Harry and suddenly pounced on him. Harry’s back hit the wall as Daphne’s lips met his in a fiery burst of passion. Running his hands along her curves, Harry slipped his tongue into Daphne’s mouth and wrestled with hers. She was pushing her body firmly against his, as though trying to push him straight through the wall behind him.

“What was that for?” Harry chuckled in amusement when their lips finally parted.

“I need to get all of this anger out of my system somehow,” Daphne said, biting her lower lip. “What better way than to do something productive like this?”

Harry couldn’t disagree with her, especially not when she kissed him again. There was something about Daphne’s lips that was so intoxicating compared to anyone else’s.

With a lightning-quick motion, Harry grabbed Daphne’s hips and spun the two of them around so that she was pinned to the wall instead of him. She moaned loudly into his mouth, but he didn’t stay up there for long. If she wanted to work out this anger, then he’d replace it with pleasure.

Parting the seam of her robes, Harry quickly managed to work his fingers under the waistband of her panties. He tugged them down as he dropped to his knees in front of her and kissed her bare thigh. Knowing what was coming, Daphne hooked one leg over his shoulder, giving him the perfect access to her pink slit.

An exploratory flick of his tongue picked up on the wetness slowly dripping out of her core. He lapped it up eagerly, savouring her unique flavour before letting his tongue become more active.

Harry’s tongue danced along her slit, but Daphne was in no mood for games. She didn’t want to waste time on anything other than what her body so desperately needed to relieve the pent-up stress inside of her.

“Lick my clit,” she ordered him, and Harry didn’t dare refuse her.

His tongue snaked back and forth around her clit, but she started rocking her body in time with his motions so that his tongue was forced into giving more direct pressure against her sensitive nub. He got the hint right away and started roughly flicking the nub with his tongue in a way that Daphne could normally only tolerate once he’d gotten her going for some time, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable in the slightest from the intense pleasure that she was feeling. A moan escaped her lips, and she let her body sag back against the wall in relaxation.

Two of his fingers teased their way inside of Daphne’s pussy, knowing that a little extra pressure against her inner walls would make things feel even better for her. He knew the exact place to touch, and he curled his fingers slightly inside of her to hit it. Daphne’s back arched off of the wall like she’d just been struck by a bolt of lightning. A thick moan left her lips, and she rocked her pussy against his face.

Harry placed a worshipful kiss upon Daphne’s clit, sucking on it hard enough to make her body quiver. The tip of his tongue slid back and forth against it as he kept applying pressure with his fingers inside of her core in an attempt to overwhelm her entirely.

It worked wonders.

“Yes! Right there,” Daphne gasped, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. “Don’t stop, just keep—”

Her words devolved into an incomprehensible mess as she cried out and came. Her thighs vibrated around his face and her knees gave out entirely. Harry had to grab her by the underside of her arse to keep her pinned against the wall as he continued to lap at her sensitive clit until her body stopped shaking.

“Fuck that was good,” Daphne finally said as she regained control over herself. She let go of Harry’s hair and helped him up to his feet where she kissed him passionately. “Get on the bed. I need to feel your cock making a mess out of me.”

Harry did as Daphne bade him to, stripping off his clothes as he went. His naked body stretched out over top of her duvet as she tore at her robes too. Harry still couldn’t believe just how lucky he was to have such a gorgeous woman as his partner. Seeing her breasts bounce as she leapt onto the bed enticed him to reach out and pull her on top of him.

“You’re so fucking sexy,” he growled.

“I’ll be even sexier with your cock inside of me,” she countered, reaching down between her thighs to grasp his willing shaft and angle it up towards her sopping-wet entrance.

Harry and Daphne both groaned as she engulfed his cock with her pussy. Her lips slid smoothly all the way down to the base of his shaft, and her inner walls pulsed around his cock like they were already trying to milk him of his seed.

Right away, Daphne started bouncing on his cock like they had a time limit. He’d never seen her so aggressive and needy before, but he loved it. The way she slammed herself down onto his cock again and again made her breasts jiggle beautifully on her chest. He grabbed onto her arse firmly and let the pleasure of Daphne riding his cock fill his mind and body.

“Merlin, you’re incredible,” Harry told her sincerely. Her pussy was perfectly tight and so ready to please him.

Daphne simply moaned in reply and grabbed her breasts roughly in her hands. She kept bouncing on him just as quickly as before when Harry started to thrust up into her pussy in time with her drops down onto his cock.

The combination of both of their bodies moving perfectly in sync and the sheer fierceness of their coupling was making Daphne rapidly lose control of herself. Harry knew that she was prone to cumming multiple times after her first orgasm, and each subsequent one came on faster than the last. Her confident riding took a sudden sharp drop in coordination when Harry pulled her down onto him by her arse, making her slam down even harder than before. Daphne’s mouth opened into a wordless scream, and her walls shuddered around his cock.

Daphne’s second orgasm made her entire body tremble as before. Her knees trembled, and she couldn’t even ride back up his cock. She just sat firmly on his lap, stirring his cock around inside of her trembling pussy as she tried to make sense of anything.

Harry didn’t even give her the chance to recover from her orgasm when he flipped her over onto her back and started fucking her again. Daphne’s body bounced wildly on the bed beneath him as he slammed into her roughly. She had to grab onto the bed sheets to help keep her body in place.

Leaning forward, Harry ensured that he made contact with Daphne’s clit each time he thrust into her, making her squeal so loudly that Harry feared that the Silencing Charm around her bedroom wouldn’t be enough to keep her voice contained. Her eyes were practically rolling backwards as he pounded into her pussy with a relentless intensity that left both of them breathless. She just kept sucking him back in, her lips clinging to his shaft and refusing to let go as he pulled back.

Both his cock and her pussy were pulsing wildly now, each threatening to be the first to erupt in a spectacular orgasm. Harry didn’t dare slow down for even a second. He fucked Daphne’s pussy as quickly as he could, uncaring how sore either of them would be after this.

“Give it to me!” Daphne cried out. “Harder! Harder! Harder—!”

With one final thrust, Harry buried every inch of his cock inside of her pussy and unleashed a torrent of cum inside of her. Daphne screamed his name as she came yet again, locking her legs around his waist so that he couldn’t dare pull away from her. Her spasming walls helped to milk his cock, ensuring that every last drop possible filled her womb.

When they both sagged with relief after the incredible sex they’d just had, Harry didn’t pull out like he normally would. Instead, he savoured the moment by kissing Daphne sweetly, keeping his cock and his seed inside of her.

“We need to beat that bitch, Harry,” Daphne whispered as she cupped his cheek with her hand.

“We will,” Harry promised her. “And anyone else that puts their name forward. At the end of the day, you and I will be the ones to ensure that Britain changes for the better.”

A kiss sealed that promise.