Written for The Matchmaker Game Challenge - Open to Sign-Ups.
This takes place in an AU. What AU? Good question. I have no idea, this just came to me and I wrote it. Obviously goodguy!Barty, but what other changes have happened? No clue. Tell me if you have any ideas!
Barty groaned as he watched Percy Weasley approach him, his walk fast and purposeful. Weasley wasn't a bad guy, Barty knew, but he was an overeager prick who was constantly kissing his father's ass. If Weasley was coming towards him therefore, it meant that Barty had done something that his father did not approve of.
That could seriously be anything.
It could be about the exploding sandwich in the Auror break room, it could be about the invisible car, it could be twenty different other things, ranging from "totally Barty's fault" to "no idea that was happening." It was a toss-up.
As much as Barty wanted to avoid Weasley however, he knew that first, Weasley wouldn't stop until he found him, and second, that would just make his father even angrier, and therefore worse for him. With a sigh, Barty accepted his fate.
Until Fleur Delacour, a literal angel, saved his life by grabbing his arm and making him walk away from Percy.
"Are you ready for lunch, Barty?" she asked, loud enough for Weasley to hear and make him stop dead in his tracks. Fleur had dated his older brother for a couple months, and Weasley always went out of his way to avoid her and to prevent awkwardness. Even though truthfully, it just created more.
After a minute, Weasley simply turned around, leaving Barty to wonder just how exactly Weasley was going to explain this to his father. It would be the first time Weasley had failed him, and Barty thought it would be extremely amusing.
"Thank you," he whispered to Fleur. "You don't realize what you've done."
Fleur shrugged. "You're welcome, but I wasn't simply making up a lunch. I 'ave reservations, if you would like to join me." She gave him a smile, and Barty returned, more nervous than he usually was around a pretty girl.
"It would be my pleasure."