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DILEMMAS

: Felnezia Elaine Lloyd

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Fleur panted heavily as she sat back against the tall oak. She could see the British Aurors taking prisoner the Death-Eaters who were still alive and putting in magical confinements those who were dead. Her eyes travelled over the many bodies lying mostly lifeless on the ground.

Her eyes stopped as she saw the figure of someone with long platinum-blonde hair moving. Lucius Malfoy.

Glancing around quickly, she noticed that the Ministry officials had as yet, not noticed that Death-Eater.

Turning a blind eye to her exhaustion, she dragged herself to Lucius and grasping his hand, disapparated.

Half-closed grey eyes opened wide as they witnessed the scene.

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"Fleur! Oh, Merlin! Fleur!"

"Gabrielle…" she managed to gasp out before fainting.

Gabrielle was scared out of her wits. She had seen that man before and she knew that he wasn't a good man. He was on the enemy's side. What was he doing here, then? It clearly seemed that Fleur had brought him with her, but why?

However, she swallowed her queries as she looked at the prostrate form of her dear sister. She called the house-elves and set about tending to the wounds on her sister's body. Oh Merlin! Let nothing happen to Fleur!

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When she woke up again, Fleur found herself on familiar grounds. She was lying in her own bed in her cottage. There was a smell of roses in the air… yes, she was definitely home.

Something stirred in her memory and she sat up with a start.

Her body protested the sudden movement but she ignored the pain. Slipping on her dressing-gown, she went towards the room across hers.

Lucius Malfoy was indeed in the spare bedroom. However, he was so still that it seemed that he was barely alive.

Her heart almost stopped beating.

She put her fingers on his wrist and lay her head on his chest.

Thank Merlin, he was alive!

She was glad that Gabrielle had seen to it that he received medical attention, too. She didn't know what she would have done if Lucius had died despite her effort to save him. Oh, how she loved Gabrielle!

"Fleur?"

"Gabrielle! I am so happy to see you!"

She held out her arms for her sister. Gabrielle ran up to her and hugged her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "I missed you. I am glad you made it back alive."

"Me, too," answered Fleur, grinning.

The sisters laughed as they held each other.

Then Gabrielle's eyes fell on Lucius.

"Why did you bring him home? I think Bill said that he was one of You-Know-Who's followers."

Fleur stiffened slightly. "I needed to," she said softly, "for the Order."

"Oh." Gabrielle sounded relieved.

"What?"

"I… well, I thought that you… I am sorry, but you know… you glanced so desperately at him before you fainted…"

"You thought I… loved him or something?" asked Fleur incredulously.

"Sorry."

"Never mind, I dare say it would have seemed something like it," said Fleur laughingly. She knew that her sister had a most wildly romantic imagination.

"I am going back to Germany tomorrow, if it's all right with you."

"Yes, I think I am well enough to take care of myself and this business," (waving her hand towards Lucius), "I won't want you to miss your studies."

Gabrielle nodded and went out to finish her packing.

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"Business, Miss Delacour?"

Fleur started and turned around.

"Yes, business, Mr. Malfoy," she said coldly. "You are going to pay for what you have done."

"And what have I done?" he asked, trying to get up, but failing. He was still too weak.

"Don't play around with words," she snapped at him. "And if you have brains, you will not try to break free, either."

Lucius Malfoy's lips curled into an arrogant smile. "Fleur, Fleur, Fleur, surely you can give up your charade now. I know you don't mean a word of it all."

Fleur glared at him. "I don't know what you mean, Mr. Malfoy."

"Surely, you haven't forgotten all of that summer you spent in my Manor, Fleur? You were never so bad in memory. Or am I wrong?"

"You are nothing but a deceiving, lying cheat, Mr. Malfoy," she said, angrily. "And I would be prepared for the most horrible death if I were you."

"You brought me here, to your home, my dear, and you want me to believe that you will hand me over?"

"That," she said, pulling out her wand, "is because I wanted some questions answered."

"Are you going to hex the answers out of me?" he asked, eyeing her wand warily.

"No. You will keep quiet for now. I will get my answers when there are no eavesdroppers for miles around. Morphemium!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a start. Not very long. So, what do you think? Worth continuing? I don't know French or anything about its pronunciation. So Fleur will talk normal English. I am sorry if this is slightly AU in this respect. But I would rather have her good English than muddled up French-English