"I trust your vacation went well."
There was a hint of something in her tone. Whether it was curiosity, annoyance, even jealously he wasn't quite sure but refused to take the bait and start an argument with the older woman. "It was nice."
Riddle's lip twitched, the only sign she would allow of the frown she forced to remain hidden. "You went to the beach as I recall." He nodded slowly, unsure of where the conversation was headed, "Did you make any new friends there?"
"Not really, I spent the time with my family."
"Two cabins or one?"
He blinked in confusion, unsure of what the point of such questions were, "One house, my parents were on the lower floor, and we were on the upper."
"So, you and your sisters were sharing a bed then."
Wait, what? "No…" he said slowly, unsure of whether this was going to turn into an argument. "I had my own room and my sisters shared one. Why are you asking all of this for?"
Her eyes focused in on him as if to pierce through to his very soul. "I want to know if you had sex with either of them."
Harry's jaw dropped, momentarily forgetting that such a thing had not only happened but happened in the past as well and the woman in front of him was aware of such a thing. "Wh-why do you…"
"So that's a 'yes' then." She moved forward, slowly invading his personal space even as he retreated backwards, not out of fear but rather uncertainty. "One at a time? Did they seduce you slowly or was it fast and rough? Did they take turns or finally get up the nerve to engage in some group activities? Was it just them or did you find some other young people on the beach to join in on…"
"Stop" She halted, blinking in surprise at the demand in his voice, "What… what are you doing this for? Are you angry at me or…"
Realization was quickly followed by a gentleness on her features, "I'm sorry Harry, I got a little carried away before… I know I've been a bit confusing with my reactions lately and so I am trying a new approach to dealing with that ugly jealousy."
"A… new approach?"
Grace nodded, "Instead of becoming angry I have been attempting to channel those feelings into desire instead."
He stared with even more confusion, "Desire…"
"A much healthier response I think you will agree. I am doing my best not to become upset or accusatory and instead focus on reminding you what I can offer."
She could see the curious lust in his eyes, the willingness, and it only served to stroke the fire in her blood, but they would need to wait until later, she would need to wait until later. Fucking him in his home, with his family still in the house, would undoubtedly be more than a little inappropriate, regardless of their relationship or the contract that existed.
Business before pleasure after all.
"Would you be interested in helping me with these… experiments?" Seeing his quick nod, and forcing herself not to quiver a bit in anticipation she focused her own thoughts on the more pressing matters, " Good, because now that our lessons are able to resume, we have quite a bit to catch up on."
His form became set with determination, "Where do we start?"
Grace returned a curt nod, "We will begin with the spells and techniques you used in the Chamber." She had meant it partially as a test, to see if there was a wince, a moment of hesitation, fear, uncertainty, anything of the like in his eyes or posture.
The woman wasn't sure if she was pleased or concerned to find none.
"I used Fulmen against your ex." Okay that earned him a flinch and one she probably deserved all considering. "As for the Basilisk itself, Ardenti Lux to burn out its eyes then I just pushed as much Magic into a blasting curse as possible, waited for it to open its mouth and… well boom."
He earned a stare for his nonchalance, "and boom…"
"Yep"
"That was your strategy? Wait for it to open its mouth and hope you could blow it up before it killed you?" Her tone was flat, and while he knew she was pissed he refused to back down or avert his gaze. What the hell did she want from him anyway? A complex battle tactic?
So, he crossed his arms and returned a glare, "Yeah, that was my strategy. What, did you have a better one?"
The twitch in her face was far more noticeable following his retort, " Yes" she seethed, "I'm sure I could think of one far more usable than 'charge in and blindly hope I don't end up as a corpse."
"Well good for fucking you. The problem was you weren't around, neither was Dumbledore."
"And the Aurors? Hell, why not just open the Chamber and let Snape go down and fight the damned thing!"
Harry practically snarled in response, "And if she died? 'Oh, that's okay Harry, just ignore the corpses we are hauling out of the Chamber, wasn't your fault.' I don't need any more blood on my hands, thanks very much."
"Oh yes, I'm sure it would be much easier to tell your family that you died because all the adults were 'busy' at the time. I'm sure your sisters would take it especially well. Harriet wouldn't have blamed herself at all."
The Potter looked away, not wanting to go down that train of thought. "Well, it all worked out in the end didn't it…"
This time it was the woman who scowled, fierce and awful, "Do not do something so stupid again, do you understand me? Apprehending the thief was bad enough but this was damn well suicidal."
His gaze snapped back to the woman, "Then next time include me in the conversation, especially if I am one of the only two people who can open the damn door."
Their gazes met, neither wavering, before they sighed in unison. "We will need to work on that agreement, but I understand your logic, even if it was flawed and wrong. Regardless I believe this is a good enough excuse to escalate your training. Clearly, you are ready for more advanced work and perhaps if I work you to exhaustion then you won't have time to get into any further trouble."
His grin was cheeky, and her own lips twitched with the refusal to allow herself such a smile, "You know me professor."
_______________________
A/N- 50% Discount for New Year's on Patreon
Read 50+ Advance Chapters + New Novels
patr*on.com/greg01