Victorious
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: This is for the Weasley Relationships Challenge and Competition. I have attempted to do Fleur's acccent (though not a full on accent since I believe it would fade with disuse as she lived in England) and I hope I have done it justice. With that said, please enjoy.
Victoire hated the feeling of her mother's eyes looking right through her. She shifted in the armchair opposite her mother's and stared down at the teacup in her hands and the saucer on her lap. This tea set was the set that came out when Mama wanted to have a serious conversation – never a good one either. The last time Victoire had found herself staring at the china pattern was when she first came to her mother about her problem and then again when she tried to explain to her why she couldn't marry Teddy.
Now, she was no doubt going to hear that her relationship with Pansy Parkinson – someone most of her family had gone to school with and despised – who was forty while Victoire was twenty-one was wrong, a phase, and Victoire would have to stop this. This relationship was no doubt – to her mother – enough to condemn Victoire as a disgrace to the family. Her mother had refused to even listen to her daughter when she tried to explain that she was gay and she didn't want to marry Teddy. What would she say now?
"So you 'ave decided you are a lezbian, right?" Her mother broke the silence abruptly and Victoire's eyes quickly snapped up to her mother's. Victoire took a breath and then tried to explain.
"Mama, it is not something I decided. It's who I have been for my life as long as I can remember." Victoire was nearly begging her mother to understand. She didn't want to lose her family because of whom she loved. She just couldn't do that. Though already she had a sinking feeling about the conversation.
"I see," Mama nodded her head but it was as if she wasn't listening to Victoire but to herself. A silence quickly took over the room and Victoire wanted something anything from her mother. Her mother's face was stoic and her mother wasn't even looking at her. Taking another agonizing sip of tea, she finally continued. "All love that 'as not friendship as its base is like a mansion built from sand."
"Excuse me?" Victoire wasn't expecting that. She was expecting "get out," or "well, we can't have you being gay," not that proverb of some sort.
"You 'eard what I said. With Teddy you 'ad friendship – 'e was practically your best friend -, but what about with Pansy?" Fleur questioned. Victoire scanned her mother's face for anything that resembled something familiar but she found nothing. Was she going to try to convince her Teddy was better than Pansy?
"Yes, I knew her for months before I knew I had fallen for her. She allowed me to be me, Mama." Victoire put as much emotion into her plea as possible and she watched something dance across her mother's face – pain. Victoire held her breath for a moment. It didn't look like her mother was going to accept her. Abandonment and dishonor suffocated Victoire. She begged and pleaded inwardly that it wouldn't turn out the way she thought. She loved her mother. She didn't want to lose her.
"So, what do you want from me? You clearly love her. What is your point in this conversation?" Mama questioned, staring her eldest down with one eyebrow raised.
"To accept me. I want you in my life." Victoire sounded breathless and she was. She was so scared. She had never felt this scared of anything, even the monsters under her bed when she was little or confessing to Pansy had made her quake like now.
"I will always be in your life – lezbian or not. I am your mother and I love you. I'm sorry I made you think you couldn't be you around me. I just had no idea 'ow to react. To be honest, I loved a girl once. But my family denied me freedom to love her and I guess I didn't want you to get 'urt like I did so I made you repress yourself. I'm sorry, my Victoire. I love you and I do accept you." Victoire was trembling and her teacup and saucer had to be set on the coffee table before her so Victoire didn't spill it onto the white floor.
"Thank you!" Victoire's hands had clasped each other and they were covering her mouth. She hadn't expected that answer. It didn't even register in her head that her mother had fallen in love with a woman herself. She was delirious with relief. She quickly stood from her seat and hugged her mother. After a few moments, her mother pulled her back and made Victoire meet her gaze.
"Even if I 'adn't accepted dear, don't make the mistake I did. Embrace your love for her. I mean nothing when it comes to your relationship with her. Be 'appy and don't let anyone stand in your way. Be strong, Victoire. I named you to be strong and 'appy. Stay those things, okay?" Mama asked her and Victoire vigorously nodded.
"Yes, yes, I promise." Victoire cried out.
"Good, then let's 'ave tea until your siblings and father come 'ome and then we'll tell them together." Her mother shooed her back to her seat and Victoire sat in her armchair gladly. Her family would accept her if her mother did. Her mother made all the decisions in the house – or at least she had the biggest influence on matters of the house. The others would be okay with it. She had already told Louis.
"Yes, Mama." Victoire took a sip of her tea and truly – for once in her life – felt victorious.