Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Those rights go to J. K. Rowling.
Just Talking
Remus Lupin sat at the kitchen table of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, reading the Daily Prophet. He took a sip from his mug of tea, enjoying the rare silence.
Until the crying French girl came running in.
Or, as she was better known as, Fleur Delacour.
She collapsed across from him, sobbing into her hands. A flustered Bill appeared in the doorway. "She's all yours, Remus, mate." he said exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air and walking away.
That worried Remus, because Bill and Fleur were very much in love.
This couldn't end well.
He set aside the Daily Prophet. He knew he should probably just leave, but a mixture of Marauder curiosity and gentlemanly concern kept him rooted to his seat.
"Fleur," Remus said gently. "What's wrong?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Fleur, looking at him tearfully. "Eet ees Gabrielle!"
"Your sister?" Remus asked, horrified. "What happened to her?"
Fleur looked suddenly angry. "She 'as decided zat she ees old enough to make 'er own decisions. And zat she does not need any advice from 'er much more experienced older sister."
Remus was confused. "Pardon me?"
Fleur crossed her arms. "Gabrielle sent me a letter zis morning. She said zat she does not need advice from- from- busy older sisters who did nozzing but impose on zer leetle sister's lives." She burst into fresh tears.
"Oh, Fleur." Remus sighed. "Are those the words she used?"
"Yes!" wailed Fleur miserably.
Remus bit his lip. "Why did she write that letter?"
Fleur sniffed. "I told 'er zat she was too young to be sinking about boys, and zat she should let 'erself be young a leetle while longer. She called me a 'ypocrite."
Remus cocked his head slightly to the side. "How old is she?"
Fleur appeared confused. "Almost ten."
Remus gave her a small smile. "How old were you when you first began thinking about boys?"
"I was- about 'er age." Fleur admitted. "But I started dating zem when I was thirteen."
Remus nodded. "I don't think you have to worry, Fleur. Gabrielle is beginning to think about boys because she's old enough to understand that people older than her are interested in boys. And every child wants to feel more adult. But children her age can't do much more than feel mildly attracted to one another."
"But," spluttered Fleur. "But when I try to tell 'er zat, she brushes me off and tells me zat I don't control 'er life! I am just trying to warn 'er zat- zat-"
"That she'll get hurt one day." Remus interrupted quietly. "I know, Fleur, that you are just trying to protect her. But children like to think that they know what's best for them. Parents and older siblings try to protect them by setting rules for them, so they won't make the same mistakes that we did in our youth. But sometimes, that just makes the children want to prove that they don't need to listen to our warnings. We have to find the balance between giving them too much space, and not giving them enough."
Fleur looked thoughtful. "So, you are saying zat eet ees alright to want to protect Gabrielle, but I also 'ave to let 'er make 'er own mistakes?"
Remus nodded. "That's right. When it all comes down to it, Gabrielle will appreciate a sister who is there to comfort her when things go wrong, more than a sister who spent her life telling her what she can or can't do."
" 'ow do you know?" inquired Fleur. "About cheeldren, I mean."
Remus pondered how to answer that question. Finally, he said, "When Harry was first born, Lily and James were ecstatic. Sirius and I were delighted. We all fell in love with him as soon as we saw him." Remus smiled at the memory. "But James and Lily were constantly at odds with each other while deciding how to raise him. I wasn't in the picture for long- they went into hiding soon after he was born- but I was there long enough to pick up a few tips about children. Sirius wanted to spoil him rotten- he could never say no to Harry. James was afraid that if Sirius spoiled Harry, Harry would get a big head- James was a kid who had never been denied anything, and his arrogance was one of the biggest reasons Lily had refrained from going out with him until 7th year. He didn't want Harry to grow up like that. Lily just wanted to keep him safe from the war, and was constantly yelling at Sirius and James for doing so much as to walk him around the neighborhood. Eventually, when the three of them were yelling at each other so loudly it woke Harry, I- er, I snapped at them. I told them all that they were trying so hard to give Harry a safe or happy future that they were forgetting what Harry needed right then. Sirius was forgetting that the fastest way to turn a child into a brat was by never denying him anything, and that it was actually better for Harry to not always get what he wanted. I told James that giving Harry a few toys wasn't going to turn him into a cocky teenager, and that kids need time to be kids- blissfully happy. And I reminded Lily that, even in the very unlikely event Death Eaters showed up in the neighborhood to get to Harry, he had a skillful dad, overprotective mum, fearless godfather, and a werewolf uncle who wasn't bad with a wand to protect him."
Fleur looked shocked. "I- " she cleared her throat. "Zat was vairy insightful, Remus. I never thought of eet zat way."
Remus smiled gently. "My pleasure."
Fleur regarded him curiously. "Your friends were vairy lucky to 'ave met you, Monsieur Lupin." She leaned across the table and kissed him on both cheeks. "You are a vairy kind man."
Remus was more than a little shocked, but he managed a smile. "Thank you, mon cheri. You are a pleasure to know."
Fleur beamed. "You speak French?" she asked.
Remus shrugged. "A little. I'm afraid I'm very rusty."
Fleur nodded. "Zat Tonks ees a lucky woman." she winked.
Remus turned red. "Nymphadora and I are just- friends."
Fleur laughed. "Maybe for right now."
Remus cleared his throat. "Is Bill alright?"
Fleur looked suddenly frustrated. " 'e told me zat I was being bossy to Gabrielle."
"That men for you, Fleur. We tend to say exactly what's on our minds- but we hardly ever mean it the way women tend to take it." Remus winced. "That is to say, we rarely mean to offend. Normally, what we wanted to say, comes out all wrong. It's easier to say women overreact than to admit we communicated poorly. Bill was just trying to say that he understands that you want what's best for Gabrielle, but you can't make her choices for her."
Fleur beamed. "You, on ze ozzer 'and, Remus, know exactly 'ow to communicate to women."
Remus laughed. "I was constantly apologizing to Sirius' many girlfriends after he offended them, and to Lily after James upset her. I learned a thing or two from experience."
The two of them laughed, and Remus marvelled at the fact that he was having a pleasant conversation with Fleur Delacour, of all people.
The quarter-veela flounced out of the room after thanking him, and headed upstairs to write her sister.
Bill came into the kitchen, looking dumbfounded. "What did you say to her?" he demanded. "She started shouting at me when I tried to talk to her!"
Remus grinned. "Sometimes, Bill, us men need to put our egos aside and grovel."
Bill's eyes widened. "We do?"
Remus chuckled. "No, I didn't actually grovel. I simply told her the nature of children and my own experiences with overprotectiveness- or, Harry's I suppose."
Bill shook his head slowly. "I'll never understand women."
"Oh, I don't understand them," Remus said quickly. "I just know how to talk to most of them."
"Can I have lessons?" Bill asked hopefully.
Remus laughed. "All you need to know Bill, is that you need to agree with them, but at the same time, disagree if they are in the wrong."
Remus left Bill standing there, utterly confused, and went to go help Sirius feed Buckbeak.
Who knew that Fleur and Lily could be so much alike?
Both, he knew, would make fantastic mothers.
