Disclaimer: Recognize it? Not mine.
Bold
Ginny dislikes Fleur.
She's learned to accept and respect her, her bravery and her love for Bill. Fleur has gracefully asked her to be her bridesmaid and Ginny gracefully accepted.
But that doesn't mean that she likes Fleur.
The other bridesmaid, Fleur's little sister, is even worse.
The first thing Ginny discovers about Gabrielle is that she speaks very little English. It means that they can't communicate and, after a few hours, she's already sick of hearing the Delacour sisters blabbering in French.
But something bothers her much more than the language barrier: It's very evident that little Gabrielle is smitten with Harry.
She doesn't voice her annoyance, because everyone else is laughing at it. Gabrielle is young - she surely can't feel something very strong for Harry...
But didn't she fall in love with Harry when she was eleven?
It's not like she doesn't remember being eleven, and how crushes were and felt back then. Many of her friends used to have crushes on older guys when they were that age, and they were all quite aware that they were platonic.
But wasn't Bill a fair bit older than Fleur? Didn't he fall in love for her nonetheless?
Gabrielle is just a girl, Ginny. Don't be silly. It's not like he's going to take her seriously.
The thought makes her relax. At eleven, she thought Harry was a celebrity. At sixteen, she knows every dark corner of his mind, his human flaws, his worse moments. To her, that makes Harry even more desirable.
So when it comes the time for the bridesmaids to stand next to the gorgeous bride, Ginny has learned to take the situation with amusement. And when a Harry Potter in disguise congratulates Fleur for her marriage, and Gabrielle's eyes are searching for his, Ginny isn't fazed.
"Congratulations, Fleur," he says.
"Thanks," she answers warmly. "You're always so kind."
Ginny understands Fleur's attitude toward Harry - she was ever so grateful for the fact that Harry saved Gabrielle on the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
The same way, Ginny has to admit that Gabrielle's crush on Harry makes sense. Ginny can relate to the feeling of being rescued, and being in love with the one doing the rescuing. And she can't erase from her mind the fact that she understands. She often feels that it was fate that brought Harry into her life, so she's sure Gabrielle feels it too. Ginny wants to be upset, but truth is, she can't help but quietly laugh. She laughs at the pretty little girl, at herself, and at Harry and his eagerness to save.
Ginny can't help but laugh at how much she loves Harry for it.
Such tenderness translates into her eyes and an unrecognizable Harry catches it with the same affection. He nods in recognition, and without even shooting a glance at the younger girl, he's gone with Ron and Hermione.
Ginny turns back at little Gabrielle to catch her staring at Harry, almost as if trying to find something discernible about him. Then she sighs and gives up. It looks like she's upset, so Ginny is surprised when Gabrielle addresses her.
"You're a lucky girl." It's the first time she's spoken directly to Ginny, and she's impressed by how Gabrielle doesn't seem to feel any shame about openly expressing her crush on Harry.
"And you're a very bold one, Gabrielle," she answers.
"What does that mean?"
That must be a bit of a big word for her, Ginny thinks. But anything similar seems equally unintelligible for the eleven-year-old's very basic English. Fearless. Brave. Confident.
"It means," she says slowly, "that you're not scared."
"Oh. Should I be?"
Ginny can't help but smile. She likes her. In spite of herself, Ginny really does like Gabrielle.
"Scared? Of what?"
"I dunno." She shrugs. "That's why I ask."
The conversation ends, but it's long enough for Ginny to understand.
Ginny can like Gabrielle without any wariness. She can accept that that there's nothing wrong with dreams. Gabrielle can close her eyes and pretend Harry is there for her. Gabrielle can allow herself to imagine, and realize deep down that her wild dreams won't translate to reality.
Gabrielle can let herself be bold about it, because in the end, she fully knows that Harry's heart belongs to Ginny. And that reassures Ginny more than she wants to admit.
It may be fate, she reckons. It may be fate for both of us. And like with all things, fate can only do so much for a person. The rest is up to them.
Notes: This was written for the incredible Lady Phoenix Fire Rose, for the Gift-Giving Extravaganza. Both pairings mentioned were requested by her, and I used one of the quote prompts and two of the word prompts. Also submitted it for the Broaden Your Horizons challenge, under Truth (canon pairs.)
Lady: I had the idea for this since you gave the prompts (ie. Ginny's feelings on Gabrielle's crush on Harry) but I wanted to make it something light-hearted and of course, canon-compliant. I'm sure you requested the same from everyone, so I can only hope this is a) original and b) to your liking.
Thank you, reader!
-Karyn.