A/N: written for Hogwarts (C&A) Fortnightly Challenges - going postal. Prompt: Exchange Student AU


1. To Gold

Fleur did not want to send her sister on the Hogwarts express, but she knew that it was a good thing.

It was simply because of the horrible year that she had lead at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, Dumbledore had reached out to Beauxbatons and then the exchange program had started.

Gabrielle was one of the first.

Fleur hugged her little sister to her chest. "Now, you be careful, don't you?" asked Fluer, looking at the little blonde in her arms.

"Of course," said Gabrielle Delacour.

"No matter where you are, I am always with you," whispered Fleur, and that was the last thing that she said before Gabrielle entered the train.

Fleur made sure that she was right on time when the train carrying hundreds of Hogwarts students came onto the platform.

She saw the familiar ethereal face of her little sister pressed against the window.

"Gabrielle!" She shouted out, her arms held wide.

Fleur took Gabrielle home. Well, not technically home. They weren't able to go back to France, not while Fleur had a job at the bank and Gabrielle's education was here in Britain. Fleur took refuge in the Leaky Cauldron, just a temporary place until she had enough money to get a place of her own.

"I hope you don't mind," she said regrettably to her sister as Gabrielle trailed her in.

"No, it's fine," said Gabrielle, smiling at her sister.

Fleur returned it and went to cut some fruit for her younger sister.

"Here," Fleur said while simultaneously placing a plate of fruit under her sister's nose.

"Stars?" asked Gabrielle, looking at the fruit as if they would just jump up and bite her. "Wasn't that what you used to do when I was little? Cut my food into stars so I could eat them?"

Fleur giggled, and soon her sister decided to join in.

"Here, I'll do it. You have shaky hands," said Fleur, slapping her sister's hand away and picking up a hair scrunchie from the dressing table and reaching to her sister's gold hair.

It was a year since Gabrielle had attended Hogwarts as an exchange student. Currently, they were the only two in the Burrow while the rest of the Weasley family was out doing their shopping in Diagon Alley.

"There's something that I need to tell you about," whispered Gabrielle while Fleur's long thin fingers worked through her hair, making intricate patterns.

"Yes?" asked Fleur.

"Something about my future," the words escaped from Gabrielle's mouth in the most tentative of fashion.

Fleur's hand went limp by her sides. She spun Gabrielle's chair to face her.

"I want to be an alchemist."

"An alchemist?" asked Fleur, confused.

"I've always felt like turning things to gold would be a brilliant practice. And I know that the theory has been disproved time and time again, but there are good examples of successful alchemists everywhere. I was reading something in the Hogwarts library and it just stuck. I asked professor Slughorn all about it and he gave me a lot of information," All this was said very fast, Fleur could barely hang onto her words.

Before Gabrielle could speak further, Fleur took hold of her and hugged her closely to her chest.

"You are gold," she whispered into her sisters ears.