The Unexpected Suitor
Title: The Unexpected Suitor
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Fleur, Ron
Prompt: 076 Who?
Word Count: 786
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: an addition to Chapter 22 of GoF (The Unexpected Task)...when Ron's telling Harry he asked Fleur to the ball he states "she didn't even answer"...which begs the question, what would her answer have been had he waited? this story is written as if it were an excerpt (let's call it a deleted scene) so it just sort of starts and it just sort of ends.
It's cold in the entraceway, the huge marble staircase making it seem even colder. Fleur and Cedric found themselves surrounded by well wishers and hangers on as usual. Cedric smiled at the throngs, he was somehow able to appear shy and confident at the same exact time; while Fleur held herself with such haughty grace she seemed imperial.
Ron watched from the side as Cedric leaned in to Fleur; Ron strained to hear what he was saying but couldn't hear anything over the twittering of the fanclub. Fleur found whatever Cedric said quite amusing however; her laughter sounded like music to Ron and as he watched she tossed her extroirdinary hair back over her shoulder. Ron felt like a spell had been cast on him. He found himself walking toward her as if on a mission, he pushed aside the gaggle of students that stood between himself and Fleur until he was right up next to her. Cadric stopped speaking as Ron came up between himself and Fleur and turned to the younger boy with a puzzled expression on his handsome face. Fleur herself looked directly at Ron as if daring him to speak. Ron could no longer hear the chattering in the hall, didn't notice Cedric still standing beside him, all his senses were focused on Fleur.
"Would you - er - want to go to the - er -dance with...with me?" Ron stuttered.
Fleur looked the boy in front of her up and down. She'd been watching him since he'd come into the hall. He stopped and stared at her and while she was used to admirers this one was so clearly inept at it she found him somewhat endearing. Cedric was tall, charming and ever so good looking but he could be rather boring. This boy in the cormer with his shocking red hair and overgrown puppy dog looks struck her as someone who could be amusing. Though clearly young he was tall enough to look her in the eye and unlike most of the wanna-bes that seemed to be perpetually surrounding the champions this boy wasn't afraid to meet her eyes. Now he was standing directly in front of her and asking her to the dance with an audacity that surprised her. These Hogwarts students seemed so rustic and homegrown compared to her fellows at Beauxbatons, a school that prided itself on a truly cosmopolitan student body. From the looks of this one's robes he was one of the worst off yet he didn't seem to realize the difference in their positions. He was asking her - Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons School Champion! - to the Yule Ball. It was ridiculous of course and she forced her expression to one of contempt. She stared him down until he turned heel and fled from the hallway.
Cedric was saying something but Fleur paid no attention and instead watched the boy's retreat. "Who eez thet?" she asked Cedric. He stopped mid-sentence and shook his head.
"Er - what? Oh, that's one of the Weasleys. Ron, I think. Harry's friend."
"Weasley." Fleaur said mostly to herself. She turned to Cedric directly now. "I will be seeing you Cedreec. I 'ave lost patieence wiv zees...peeple!" She waved an impatient hand at the crowd. Cedric nodded to her and Fleur turned to walk away. She found her thoughts drifting to the Weasley boy. He was nothing like Cedric, nothing like any of the boys she knew really - he was the type of boy she tended to ignore. But he had surprised her, caught her off guard and that was something very few had been able to do. Fleur found she had reached the large double doors of the castle. Bracing herself for the cold she put Weasley out of her mind. Of course she couldn't go the ball with him. She was Fleur Delacour and he was nobody. It was ridiculous to even entertain the thought. Having convinced herself Fleur marched into the cold December night, her head held high...and her heart as lonely as ever.
Ron watched as Fleur walked out of the castle. He knew he would have to return to the common room soon, Harry would be waiting. But he wanted to avoid as much ridicule as possible and he had no idea whatever how many Gryffindors...how many people...had witnessed his disastrous encounter with Fleur. What had he been thinking? Obviously he hadn't been thinking at all or he would never have done anything so foolish. She'd now disappeared behind the wooden doors and he decided he'd have to move off someday...might as well be now. He headed off to Gryffindor tower where he found his sister and poured out the whole sad story.