"I am getting a job here, to eemprove my Eenglish," Fleur said in her strong French accent. Harry and Ron nodded half-heartedly. But perhaps, Ron thought, somebody was holding her back here. Ron turned his head to look at his older brother Bill Weasley, talking to their mother Molly. Hermione tugged on Ron's arm, and Ron spared his last two glances towards Bill and Fleur, and followed Hermione's lead.
"Do you think you have a lead on why Fleur wanted to stay?" Ron asked Hermione in the Gryffindor common room that night. Hermione swiftly looked up from her Ancient Runes homework that was laid out on the floor and put a finger to her lips, in semi-deep thought. "She did say she wanted to improve her English," Hermione pointed out. "But did you see how she looked at Bill?" he leapt from the couch in front of the fire. "Hermione was surprised, to say the least. "Well, I guess that might work as well..." Hermione said thoughtfully.
But even The Brightest Witch of Her Age and the very brother of the man aforementioned couldn't figure out the real reason why Fleur wanted to stay.
Of course, her English was one of the concerns. And Bill might have something to do with this too... But none of these reasons she claimed were close to the real reason on why she wanted to remain.
The reason was most certainly not love or her yearning to learn.
It was because she was ashamed.
Yes, Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic Champion, was ashamed.
She thought she would stand a chance in winning the competition. She was the most promising student among all the girls that Madame Maxime has brought to Hogwarts for the Tournament.
She was part-Veela, she was skilled in non-verbal magic, was sorted into Astucieux because of the cunning and ambitious attitude she showed, even though she thought she was going to be in Vaillant because of her confidence and bravery. But the Sorting Quill probably had its reasons, she just didn't know.
She was ashamed because wanted to bring honour and fame to her family and school, but instead lost the competition to a fourteen-year-old who was dubbed as 'The Boy Who Lived'.
She has nothing against Harry, of course not. He has saved her sister Gabrielle during the Second Task.
Gabrielle.
Gabrielle, her beloved little sister. She expected Fleur to win, like the rest of the French magical community.
Her family expected her to win, with her brains and common sense.
But she ended up disappointing everyone.
This is why she didn't want to go back to France. Because she had failed everyone and she was running away.
Of course, it would be an overstatement if she was running away. More like leaving, since Madame Maxime has given her OK and Mother and Father were very understanding in her request.
If only she had a Time-Turner, she would have made sure she won.
But in the end, if she did win, it must've been pointless because she would have been killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and it would have been her who would be in Cedric Diggory's place. And it would have been her who was carried by Harry, or worse, nobody would have delivered her corpse back to Hogwarts at all.
But if the Cup wasn't a Portkey, if Professor Alastor Moody wasn't a Polyjuice Potion copy, if Harry wouldn't have entered... She would have won. She expected so much out of herself, and ended up failing herself as well.
Despite her part-Veela heritage, she suddenly seemed so ugly now.
'Nothing is waiting for me back home, and there's so much to do, to see, to learn here in London... If I stayed, no one would mind, would they? They'll find that new Head Girl soon enough.' she thought miserably to herself, as she turned around and boarded the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley Station.