Harry's Firm Stand!

Cassandra's words, and that look in her eyes just now, completely enraged Veratia.

She abruptly rose from Harry's shoulder, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in her violet eyes.

"Easily fooled?" Veratia's voice was low and cold. "Still better than some people who claim to be 'close followers' and need to keep their distance,' but what happened? A hundred years ago, who was it that bossed him around while secretly keeping that crooked amulet he first gave you? Cass, are your rationality and tradition just a cover for your cowardice in not daring to admit that you were attracted to him from the start?"

The air froze.

Harry felt the arm around Cassandra's waist stiffen instantly, and a pallor and anger, as if her deepest secret had been exposed, appeared on Cassandra's ever-composed and elegant face.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her eyes were fixed coldly on Veratia.

"Watch your words, Grindelwald." Cassandra's voice was devoid of emotion. "Knowing him a few years earlier means I've seen his most naive and impulsive self, and accompanied him through those formative years that even he himself may not remember clearly. The weight of that is something you, a philandering cat, can't possibly comprehend. True companionship isn't just about sharing secrets and adventures; it's about the daily grind and the accumulation of experiences."

As she spoke, she casually took Harry's hand and guided it to stroke her forearm.

Harry's fingertip landed precisely on an old scar.

That was when Harry was in his third year, and she was scratched by a dark Magical Creatures while protecting Harry in the Forbidden Forest.

"Is that so?" Veratia sneered, but leaned even closer to Harry's other side, placing her hand on the back of Harry hand and interlocking their fingers. "Day after day of mundane tasks? Is it just about treating him like a servant, ordering him around? I didn't know your Malfoy family had such a tradition; it's quite an eye-opener."

Cassandra sat in the room.

These words really hit home, and they touched on the very past that Cassandra least wanted to recall.

The secret and clumsy attraction she felt back then was masked by the arrogance instilled by her family's upbringing, causing her to subconsciously run away. This made her attitude towards Harry truly contradictory—both dependent and resistant, caring yet concealing it with indifference.

This past has now become Veratia's sharpest weapon.

Oh----

If I hadn't been so unwilling to face my own feelings back then, would you, Potter philandering cat, have stolen this guy away?

Don't even think about it!

"At least my traditions have taught me about boundaries and observation, Grindelwald," Cassandra scoffed, "Unlike some philandering cats, utterly devoid of tradition and shameless!"

Her words grew increasingly sharp, and at the same time, the hand gripping Harry's wrist did not loosen its hold. Instead, it led his fingertips, slowly and firmly moving upwards along the old scar on her forearm, across her delicate skin, and pressed against her heart.

This is a silent declaration.

Harry could see that Veratia seemed to be holding back, suppressing her mockery of Cassandra's lack of refinement in certain aspects.

It was indeed too barren, so barren that even Veratia couldn't bear to look at it.

Veratia's violet eyes flickered twice, but a sweet yet dangerous smile curved her lips.

"Harry," her voice suddenly became soft and seductive, her breath brushing against his lips, "tell her, whose company do you prefer? Do you prefer being bossed around, summoned and dismissed at will, living within rules and boundaries every day, or do you prefer—"

She paused, glancing quickly at Cassandra's instantly tense face, then murmured, word by word, in a soft voice that both of them could hear, "----Do you like how it feels to be with me? Do you like the me who can change for you? I think if you want to get married, I'll be your first choice, won't I?"

Before she could finish speaking, she planted a deep kiss on Harry's lips with lightning speed.

Oh! Veratia's ever-changing appearance, so delicious!

Vimen!

Cassandra witnessed this scene, her face chillingly cold.

She stopped trying to argue with words and became more direct and aggressive in her actions.

She abruptly released Harry's hand, but not to give up. Instead, she used both hands to forcefully turn Harry's shoulders, trying to turn him from Veratia's embrace to face her.

"Hey, wait!" Harry tried to struggle, "Don't break me!"

"Let him go!" Cassandra's voice lost its usual calmness, trembling sharply. "You think you can win with this—this frivolous method? Potter! Look at me! Have you forgotten who stayed by your bedside with the oldest calming Potions when you were plagued by nightmares? Have you forgotten who helped you overcome all difficulties at school when you were bullied and ostracized?"

As she questioned them, she used her body to create space, almost embedding herself between Harry and Veratia.

Neither of them would give way, and Harry was pulled and tugged by them, his body swaying from side to side, like a small boat adrift in a storm.

He could clearly feel the warmth and softness of Veratia's embrace on his left and the lingering touch on his lips, as well as the cool fingertips of Cassandra's fingers gripping his shoulders on his right and the slight trembling of her body due to excitement.

"Enough! You all—"

Harry tried to speak to stop the increasingly out-of-control situation, but before he could finish speaking, Veratia, in order to resist Cassandra's pull, hugged him even tighter, her cheek pressed against his side; while Cassandra took the opportunity to step forward, almost resting her entire upper body on his right arm and chest, tilting her head back, her bright eyes even carrying a hint of imperceptible pleading.

You know what, Harry really did soften his heart.

If Veratia was his favorite, then the tender Cassandra was the most delicious thing in the world.

Oh no, it's his most treasured possession.

"I don't think you two should fight," Harry said, catching his breath. "It's just a matter of order, isn't it? I don't think it's necessary to argue like this—"

"Potter," Cassandra grabbed his collar, "this was my father's only wish. Think about how much he loved you! He always raised you like his own son—"

Harry was having a bit of a headache.

Indeed, although Mr. Malfoy. Septimus Malfoy didn't seem to like him much back then, he knew it wasn't for any other reason than that this "Mudblood" had actually stolen the heart of the noble Miss Malfoy.

Even so, Mr. Septimus never treated Harry harshly on any issue because of this; at most, he noticed that Harry's expression management wasn't very good.

It is indeed remarkable that the once emotionless and stoic Minister lost control of his emotions; this is truly a great achievement.

Moreover, Mr. Septimus took him to various occasions back then, which greatly broadened his horizons and even taught him a lot of political wisdom.

Harry owes the Malfoy family so much, Harry feels he can never repay them in this lifetime.

"Harry," Veratia didn't try to appeal to emotions, but instead blinked her violet eyes and said softly, "If I weren't the Minister for Magic, I wouldn't really care—but if my boyfriend married another woman, what do you expect the wizards of the world to think of me?"

Oh my god, that's a big problem.

"This is the price you pay for your infidelity," Cassandra said sarcastically, her lips pursed.

But Veratia didn't retaliate; she just looked at Harry with kitten-like eyes.

Harry felt as if his brain was being pulled apart by two Hungarian Horntail dragon at the same time.

On one side was Mr. Septimus's silent yet profound expectations, those afternoons spent in the study at the Malfoy Manor, and the almost fragile stubbornness that Cassandra now showed in her eyes, a rare sight after shedding all her haughty exterior.

On the other hand, there's the reality that Veratia casually mentions yet hits the nail on the head: if the Minister for Magic's partner were to have a formal engagement with someone else, the resulting political storm and media frenzy could plunge the three of them, and even the entire Magical World, into an unpredictable abyss.

There's no way around it; even the Minister for Magic has his pride.

He looked down and saw Cassandra's fingers gripping his shirt, her knuckles slightly white from the force.

Turning his head, he met Veratia's violet eyes, which seemed to hold the entire starry sky. At this moment, there was no coercion in them, only a glimmer of light waiting for his decision.

He felt he really had to act like a man, at least to forcefully suppress the crisis in front of him.

He suddenly took a deep breath, stopped trying to break free, and instead stretched out his arms, pulling the two girls, who were still secretly competing, into his embrace without any room for doubt.

The movement was so sudden that Cassandra and Veratia were both slightly taken aback, and their physical confrontation froze for a moment.

"Cass," he said, glancing to his right, his voice low and unmistakably serious, "I remember everything Mr. Septimus did, and I remember everything you did. You were a ray of light in my dark life, and that has never changed."

He could feel Cassandra's body tremble slightly in his arms, and the grip on his clothes loosened a little.

Then he turned to his left, pressing his forehead against Veratia's. "Veratia, I remember everything about us, our adventures in England, breaking the shackles of time—I remember it all."

"I will not accept any solution that puts one of you in a secondary position," Harry continued, tightening his arms around them as if trying to meld them into his body. "The Malfoy family tradition is important, and the dignity of wizarding society is important. But to me, the two of you, right now in my arms, the two people who are intimately connected to me, are a million times more important than anything else. Your happiness and joy are what I value most."

Hearing Harry's words, the two girls stopped competing and instead gave each other a defiant look before continuing to cling to Harry's chest.

"So what do you plan to do?" Cassandra suddenly sneered. "Don't tell me you're going to use delaying tactics to evade your responsibilities!"

"Actually, delaying isn't necessarily a bad thing—" Veratia said softly, "I can accept not getting married for a while, but I can't accept you marrying someone else before me—not even Cass."

This is her bottom line.

For someone as proud as Veratia to lower her standards to this extent is truly remarkable.

At this point, Veratia didn't forget to whisper to Harry, trying to Veratia, "I have no objection, but that woman is different—look, she's forcing you to make a choice. How can a proper girlfriend or a proper wife do that?"

Oh dear, Veratia ----

One sentence almost made Cassandra furious again.

Harry's temples throbbed from Veratia's words, and he could feel Cassandra's body tense up on his right side, a new storm brewing in her eyes.

Harry thought to himself, "I can't let them keep arguing. I have to press the pause button immediately, even if it's just temporarily."

"Listen to me!" Harry raised his voice slightly, his arms still firmly wrapped around the two of them, forcefully intervening in the tense atmosphere with his physical strength and resolute tone. "Delaying tactics? No, not delaying. I need time for the three of us to find a real solution to the problem, instead of making impulsive decisions that anyone will regret later."

He took a deep breath and felt that although the two girls in his arms were still clinging to each other, their attention seemed to be drawn to his words.

This was the first time Harry had ever acted so manly, forcefully suppressing the opinions of two people.

Harry looks so manly!

Veratia suddenly felt her breathing become a little rapid.

"I believe you," she said. "I have no problem with what you said—and what about you, you philanderer?"

Are you still going to force Harry to make a decision so soon, regardless of everything?

These were very well said; Veratia's words conveyed the message that Cassandra should be a sensible person.

The Duke of Connaught, who understands the bigger picture, is he?

Out of touch with reality? Don't blame me for bestowing upon you the Earl of Glamorgan!

"Ha." Cassandra had actually wanted to provoke Harry, but Veratia's words made her abandon the idea. She changed the subject, saying, "I have no objection, but I hope you can come up with a suitable solution as soon as possible, and not drag this out for thirty or even three hundred years!"

"Don't worry," Harry said with a grin, "Now that we've finished the important business, shouldn't we talk about something truly important?"

"What important business?" Cassandra raised her head proudly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm leaving now to go back to sleep—ah!"

Before she could finish speaking, Veratia had already pushed her down onto the bed.

"Weren't you yelling so loudly just now, Cass?" Veratia sneered, conjuring a rope. "Hmph—weren't you cursing me so enthusiastically? What shameless, what a philanderer? Fine, now I'll show you what I'm capable of—"