She twirled a strand of long silvery blond hair as she watched the English countryside pass. "Be careful and don't speak to strangers!" her mother told her,
" 'elp out your seester, she's likely to be very stressed!" her father reminded her. Then they both had hugged her and kissed her before she boarded the train to see her sister.
Gabrielle Delacour reached for the carrier that was placed in the seat across from her and peered inside. "Bonjour Nanine," two green eyes glowed back at her. "Not much longer ma chèrie," she leaned back in her seat and sighed. The train had begun to slow down, and Gabrielle glanced out of the window again, they were pulling into the station. Once the train stopped, she stood up and gathered her trunks. She picked up her cat carrier gently and then made her way out of the compartment, off the train, then stood on the platform. Gabrielle looked around for a familiar face, but saw none. "Excuse me miss, are you looking for someone?" Gabrielle whirled around and came face to face with a boy who seemed to be about her age. His eyes widened in surprise at the gorgeous young girl standing before him. "Oui, ma sœur,". He wrinkled his face in confusion,
"Um… I'm sorry, who?" She looked puzzled for a second then understood the boy's confustion. "My apologies, I mean to say, my… seester. I am vaiting for my seester. My name is Gabrielle Delacour, et toi?" He reached for her outstretched hand and shook it,
"My name is Orion… Black, but you can call me Ryan," He smiled at her, and she tentatively smiled back. "Vell… it is very nice to meet you, Ryan,"
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Gabrielle Delacour," She blushed and looked down, noticing that their hands were still linked and yanked it back to her side, then blushed more. "Are you here for vacation?" Ryan asked.
"Actually, I am 'ere for school. Ma famille thought dat I should be… eh…exposed to a deeferent culture,"
"Well, I hope I'll see you around Miss Gabrielle, maybe… if you'd like we could…" Suddenly, a voice like a songbird was heard over the noise of the train station. "Excusez-moi! Pardon!" Heads turned as a stunningly beautiful and very pregnant woman hurried through the crowd, silvery blond hair flew like a veil behind her. The people watched as this remarkable woman gracefully made her way through the crowd. "Gabrielle! Gabrielle!" Gabrielle looked away from Ryan to see the woman hurrying towards her and smiled widely, "Fleur!" Ryan glanced in disbelief at the two stunning females; the one standing beside him, and the one who was soon hugging her. He stood in confusion as they talked rapidly in French, but eventually remembered his presence, "Fleur, c'est mon nouvel ami, Ryan. Ryan, this is my seester, Fleur Weasley," The older woman turned to smile at the young boy who had been talking to her beloved little sister. "Bonjour Ryan! Thank you very much for watching my leetle seester," He blushed,
"I… it was no problem…" Fleur winked at him, then turned back to Gabrielle.
"Vell Gabrielle, are you ready to go?" The younger girl smiled up at her sister, "Oui Fleur, juste un moment?"
"D'accord!" Gabrielle turned to Ryan,
"Well Orion, it vas very nice to meet you, maybe vee vill see each uzzer again?" The boy smiled at her and pushed his shaggy black hair out of his eyes. He whipped out a piece of parchment paper and a quill then quickly scribbled something on it, and handed it to the girl. "Write to me sometime if you like, we can meet up anywhere you want," He mumbled shyly at the blushing girl. "Alright, I'd like that very much," She stepped forward unsure of what to do next, "Well bye…" She gave a little wave, grabbed her things, and then turned to follow her sister.
Ryan stood there gazing at the back of the girl he had just met, Wow
Gabrielle and Fleur made their way to the car and soon Gabrielle found herself lifted off the ground by none other then Bill Weasley. "It has been far too long Gabrielle!" She found herself beaming up at her sister's husband whose brown eyes winked back at her playfully, " 'ello Bill! It is nice to see you too!" She giggled as he spun her in a circle then set her down. Bill hadn't changed much since she had last seen him. His red hair was still long and pulled back, and he still wore an earring with a fang on it. He had a handsome face, marred only by the vicious scars caused by a dangerous werewolf during the final battle of the Wizarding war. However; the scars only added to his ruggedly handsome image. His wild image contrasted against his wife's. Fleur had a very angelic appearance, with her tall and slender frame. Her flawless face seemed almost untouched by the tragedy of the war, but when one looked closely one would noticed small worry lines. Her corn blue eyes, as well, had lost the mischievous glint that they had held in her youth, and had been replaced by a look of wisdom. Gabrielle smiled at her sister and Bill; then realized there was someone missing, "But vere is…?" She didn't get the opportunity to finish her sentence because soon she found she was being hugged around the knees. "Auntie Gabby-Ella! I knew you'd come back!" Fleur and Bill watched in amusement as Gabrielle lifted her three-year old niece into her arms and planted kisses all over the giggly and squirmy little girl. " 'Ello Victoire, 'ave you been a good girl for your mother?" Victoire giggled as her aunt nuzzled her,
"Yes Aunt Gabby-Ella," Gabrielle heard Fleur snort, and then put her down and looked at her niece who was gazing up at her with adoration. Victoire had blond hair like Fleur and Gabrielle, but instead of their light blue eyes, she inherited Bill's deep brown eyes. She still had that cherubic appearance that comes with being a little girl, aided by the pale pink dress she was wearing. "Well, I do believe that it is time to take Gabrielle home so she can settle in!" Bill opened the trunk to put Gabrielle's belongings in the back. Once everyone was settled into the car, they started back for Shell Cottage.
"Here is your room," Fleur opened the wooden door to reveal a small room. The room was white with accents of lavender. The lace curtains were lavender, and the fluffy bedspread and the pillows were lavender as well. A wooden dresser stood beside the window and there was a matching trunk at the foot of her bed. A painted picture of the coast hung on the wall opposite the bed, and Gabrielle recognized it from her own room back in France. The windows were open and a slight breeze, which ruffled the curtains. It was quite a charming room. "And zee bathroom is across zee 'all," Gabrielle looked up to see her older sister indicating to another wooden door across from her room. Gabrielle mirrored Fleur's heartbreaking smile before throwing her arms around her. "Oh merci! Tu m'as manqué!"
"Je vous manqué trop," Fleur gave Gabrielle's hair an affectionate stroke, and Gabrielle was reminded of when she was younger. Fleur had been Gabrielle's idol and she'd admired the older girl and tried her best to be exactly like her. While many older siblings would grow impatient with their younger sister following them around, Fleur was kind about it and was very protective of her baby sister. She still remembered the triwizard tournament at Hogwarts like it was yesterday and how worried she was for her sister. Fleur was practically her second mother, what would she do it Fleur was hurt? Gabrielle didn't remember being underwater during the second task, but she did remember being back on land and fighting to return to her sister's arms. "Mummy?" The two sisters looked down to where Victoire was hiding behind her mother's legs, "Mummy? Will Auntie Gabby-ella play wif me?" The little girl looked shyly up at her Aunt with hopeful and shining brown eyes. Gabrielle gave a mock sigh, "Vell I don't know… I'm quite tired…" a michievious glint appeared in her eyes as she swooped down and picked up Victoire, "But I theenk I can play with you a leetle while!" She tickled Victoire who gave shrieks of joy and carried her out into the garden to play. Bill came up behind Fleur and rested a hand on her waist and watched with her as Gabrielle and Victoire spun in circles and danced around in the green garden.
"Do you vant to pick flowers for your muzzer?"
"Oh yes!" Victoire ran around the garden and picked various flowers of various colors like a whirlwind. Gabrielle sat cross-legged on the ground and found that her interest was soon captured by a pretty little blue butterfly, whom had landed on a yellow daisy near her. Slowly reaching out a finger, the little butterfly suddenly flitted off, and Gabrielle smiled to herself. It was late afternoon and the sound of the waves was quite relaxing. She knew how lucky she was to have been so far away from the Wizarding War, and it was one of those times where she greatly appreciated being alive. "Do you think Mummy will like them?" Gabrielle smiled at the colorful bouquet of flowers being tightly gripped in her niece's small hand and stood up. "Your muzzer vill absolutely adore zem! Now lets go find a vase,". They walked into a kitchen where Fleur was preparing something, "Oh Victoire! Are zose for me? Zey are lovely!" Fleur gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and found a large crystal vase to put them in. As she filled it with water, she filled Gabrielle in on the night's dinner plans. "Now I know you just arrived, and may be tired, but zee Weasleys 'ave invited us over for dinner. We told zem you were coming to stay with us and zey asked to become more aquainted with you,"
"Alright, I remember Mrs. Weasley's cooking vas quite good,".
"So Gabrielle, how long are you staying in England?" Mrs. Weasley asked her daughter-in-law's sister. Gabrielle raised her head and smiled at the older woman,
"I'm staying for a year and attending 'ogwarts," At this, most of the people at the dinner table raised their heads in surprise. Harry Potter looked at the girl inquisitively and Gabrielle blushed. After all these years she still harbored a secret celebrity crush on The Harry Potter. The same one who felt it necessary to rescue her when she was eight and he was fourteen. "I thought you attended Beauxbatons?" Harry's girlfriend Ginny Weasley spoke up. Gabrielle cleared her throat again to speak up, "I do, but Papa et Maman vanted me to experience England. Zey vanted me to… experience a deeferant culture et get out of France, because…"
"Because zey wanted 'er to improve 'er eenglish and become better aquainted weeth all of you." Gabrielle looked in confusion at her sister who flashed her famous smile at the other occupants at the table. After one last puzzled look towards her sister, Gabrielle continued hesitantly, "Eh… oui… Anyvays, zey asked Headmistress McGonagall eef I may attend as an exchange student for a year,"
"Oh, alright. Well you are certaintly welcome to visit our home anytime you would like, and I'm sure you will love Hogwarts," Mrs. Weasley beamed at Gabrielle.
"Merci, Mrs. Weasley. Zat is very kind of you, and I am quite excited to return to 'ogwarts as a student. Eet 'as been quite a few years,"
"Oh please dear, call me Molly," Gabrielle bit her lip and smiled shyly.
"Merci… Molly," Dinner continued as everyone laughed and joked with each other. Ginny Weasley was teasing her brother, Ron, about something that had happened the other night, and Hermione Granger was discussing a new law that had been recently passed with Percy Weasley. Arthur roared with laughter at something Harry had told him. Gabrielle sat quietly and watched the family and their significant others. She suddenly felt someone tugging on her sleeve, "Auntie Gabby-ella? May I leave? Can Teddy come too?" Gabrielle stroked her niece's blond head and looked at the two children. Four-year-old Teddy, Gabrielle remembered, was a metamorphagus and had lost his parents during the war. Gabrielle didn't know if she had ever met his parents, but she knew they must have been very brave. She heard he was living with his grandmother but spent a lot of time with his godfather, Harry Potter. He was a sweet little boy with bright eyes and turquoise hair, which turned bright fire engine red when she redirected her gaze towards him. "Victoire, darling, vy don't you go ask your grandmuzzer eef you and Teddy may be excused?" Victoire giggled and grabbed Teddy's hand and skipped over to Molly.
"So Gabrielle Delacour, looking forward to anything in particular at Hogwarts?" She turned to her right to find George Weasley looking at her. She remembered hearing about his loss from a letter Fleur had written.
… one of the worst losses for us is Fred Weasley. I do not know if you remember him, but he was one of the twins. George and Fred Weasley. I have spend a lot of time with the rest of the Weasley family since the war ended and I see that George is still suffering quite a lot…
While I barely remembered George from Fleur and Bill's wedding a few years prior, I could tell that he had been through a lot since then. "I'm not sure vhat I look forward to zhe most. Bill told me many stories about his time zere, it sounds so adventurous and deeferant from Beauxbatons. I guess I am excited for all of it!" And at that, George gave a big smile, "Would you like to hear more stories?" Gabrielle's eyes widened in anticipation and leaned in, as George began to talk.
