A/N - This was written for the Giant Apple Bobbing Game at the Hogwarts Fair on HPFC. Writing time 27 minutes.
Also written for Level 3 of the Cooking Club Challenge on HPFC with the prompts Black Lake (Pears), Protective (Hazelnut), Breakfast (orange) and Home (onion).
He found her by the Black Lake. She was staring into its depths as if she was looking for an answer and would find it there. Dumbledore's white marble tomb stood gleaming a short distance away and Bill had to turn his eyes away from it. He stood on the steps of the castle and watched her for a few minutes, her blonde hair shining in the sun. The weather seemed incongruous to what had happened on these grounds and inside these walls just a few days before.
He finally began to walk towards her, making just enough noise so that she could hear him coming. After all that had happened, the last thing he needed was a stray hex to make things even worse. She turned when he was mere feet away and started when she saw that it was him. She rushed the last few steps to his side.
"What are you doing 'ere?" she asked, her hands fluttering over him as if to make sure he was all right. "Madame Pomfrey said you would not be released until zis afternoon." He smirked.
"I convinced her to let me leave early," he replied. She glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You bozered 'er until she was tired of you, you mean," Fleur returned and Bill just shrugged. She reached up a hand and drew it gently over the scars on his face that they now knew would never completely heal. He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips, giving her a smile. She returned it and then looked back at the lake.
"What were you thinking about so intently?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and drawing her to him. Her hands moved to cover his.
"Ze tournament," she said quietly. Bill closed his eyes and kissed her temple. He hadn't been here to watch the second task, but she had told him everything that happened.
"She's all right," he said softly and Fleur nodded. "And Dumbledore wouldn't really have let anything happen to her, even if Harry hadn't brought her with him."
"I know," she replied. "But eet was quite different when eet was actually 'appening." He squeezed her a bit tighter and a wave of protectiveness washed over him. It had always been there, but now it seemed magnified somehow. Bill wondered if it had anything to do with the wolf characteristics Remus thought he would have now.
They stood there in silence looking out at the lake and Bill's thoughts turned to the wedding. They had intended to return to Fleur's flat in London afterwards, but now Bill knew it would not be good enough. Even if there hadn't been a war on, he thought that this new protective nature of his would have forced him to look for something different. For now, they would go back to the Burrow and then he would figure something out.
The next morning, he rose early and sat down to breakfast with his father before the elder Weasley left for the Ministry. Fleur was still asleep, having sat up half the night keeping watch over Bill, even though he insisted he was perfectly fine.
"Dad," Bill said between bites. "Remember Shell Cottage?" The small cottage in Tinworth had belonged to Arthur's aunt and when Bill was small they used to visit there in the summers. Once Ron had come along, they had stopped going. His great-aunt had been getting on in years and the small size of the cottage coupled with the very rambunctious twins, did not make for a good combination.
"Of course," Arthur said with a fond smile. "I used to spend summers there myself as a boy."
"What ever happened to it?" Bill asked taking a sip of his juice. He knew his aunt had died about seven years ago.
"It's still there, I suppose," his father mused. "I closed it up after Aunt Cordelia passed, but I haven't been back. Your mother and I talked about taking a short holiday once Ginny went off to school, but we never ended up doing it." Bill nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't think Fleur's flat is the best place for us with all that's going on," Bill explained.
"Yes, probably true," Arthur agreed. "You know the two of you are welcome here." Bill snorted.
"Regardless of the apparent understanding she and Mum have come to, I really don't think that's the best idea do you?" Bill asked.
"Perhaps not," his father chuckled.
"Besides Dad, I want a place of our own," Bill said. "A home of our own." Arthur patted his shoulder.
"I understand, son," he said. "Why don't you go and have a look at it? It may need some work."
"Thanks Dad," Bill replied. Arthur got up and kissed his wife and then left for work.
"Close your eyes," he instructed.
"Why?" Fleur asked in confusion.
"Just trust me," Bill said and he grabbed her around the waist and Apparated them away.
They landed near the cliff's edge down the hill a bit from the house. Fleur did not notice the cottage at first, but looked down at the beach and the sea below the cliff.
"Eet ees very beautiful 'ere," she said and Bill nodded.
"I came here when I was a little boy," he explained. He turned towards the cottage and pointed at it. "My great-aunt lived there and we used to spend time here in the summers."
"Oh, 'ow enchanting," she declared as she caught sight of the cottage. He smiled at her.
"Come on, I'll show you," he said. He tugged her towards the cottage and gave her a tour. She exclaimed over the shells that decorated the outside and the views from the bedroom.
"Well, what do you think?" he asked as they stood next to each other looking out the bedroom window at the beach below, Bill's arm around her waist.
"Eet ees wonderful," she said and then looked at him in puzzlement. "But why are we here?" The protective wave passed over Bill once again followed by a feeling of contentment.
"We're here because we're home," he said. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him.
"Home?" she questioned.
"Home," he nodded. She smiled widely and hugged him tightly. Home, he thought again in his head as he kissed her.