Letters and Hot Chocolate
Dear Harry
How have you been? I wanted to write to you before, but I think both of us needed time to deal with what happened. I certainly found that curling up on the sofa with my sister and cup of hot chocolate helped, alas though I digress from the original point if this letter. I wanted to invite you to France sometime in the holidays I can understand if you don't want to come, but I had hoped we could talk and be friends. Last term you said we could be friends and I had hoped the offer was still open, I admit I'm being a tad selfish for you are the only male I've met who is immune to my allure and treats me as a person and that I trust to see me cry and I want you here.
Sorry if that sounded selfish! Anyway I hope you will consider coming.
Love
Your friend (I hope!)
Fleur Delacour
P.S. Gabby sends hugs and kisses to her unofficial big brother.
Harry stared at the letter for some time, in truth he had been afraid it had been another note from Ron or Hermione telling him to not blame himself and to talk to them about Cedric's death. He had not expected a letter from Fleur, but honestly it was not surprising to him that she had written after all Cedric had been her friend too.
They all had. Him and Fleur and Cedric and Victor while publicly had not appeared to be close, they all had developed a bond of some sought through the Tri-wizard tournament. Fleur with her affectionate personality and a mischievous streak as great as the twins, Victor with his dry humour and flirty nature, Harry with his love of flying and Cedric…
Cedric.
Even after several weeks since it had happened it still hurt to think of his fellow champions cold lifeless eyes staring at him frozen in shock. So far no one seemed to understand how he felt or how he couldn't just talk to them about it. His friends surprisingly had been less then understanding and kept insisting he talk about it.
Well that wasn't quite true there were two maybe three people apart from Fleur who seemed to at least understand he didn't want to talk and was still grieving. And only one was in his house to boot. The first was Ginny Weasley who had gotten over her crush on the boy-who-lived after second year and became more like a surrogate little sister. The fact she spoke parseltongue too was helpful, something retained from the diary's possession.
The next was Susan Bones she had apologised profusely after Hermione had been petrified in second year; she doubted the Harry would go around petrifying his own friends even if he was the heir of Slytherin and he had found she was pleasant company and someone he could definitely trust. Also her aunt being the DMLE (Department of Magical Law Enforcement) meant she had a sensible head on her shoulders and her aunt had become fond of him as well. She had asked to call her Aunt Amelia in private and had found it was quite easy to do so; she was definitely an aunt he actually liked, unlike Petunia.
The last was Daphne Greengrass a Slytherin and someone he thought as a close friend. Although if Ron knew he'd probably have a fit as would most of the school, but she was one of few students in his year who would prefer to remain neutral in any conflict and was always willing to offer advice, assuming she thought they deserved it. Harry had first met on the train in first year he had not known who she was or that back then his name could cause political problems. So the two had hit of quite well until she had found just who he was, afterwards he had not seen her much and she would not even acknowledge his existence, it had hurt a lot. Until later after the incident with the philosopher's stone she had snuck into the hospital wing and berated him for being what she called a 'Foolish Gryffindor'. Later on she had explained her at least openly being friends with could cause her and her family problems. Luckily she still wanted to be friends and the two had been ever since
It was those three that he trusted completely and now with Fleur would probably the first he would talk to before anyone else, apart from maybe Sirius and Remus god knows he wanted to see those two again.
He reread Fleur's letter again his lips twitching upwards at the end part about Gabby before he sat down to compose a reply to his new friend and little sister.