Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter, that would be J..

Chapter 1

A young woman was sitting at the edge of a moonlit lake, snow spiralling around her hunched figure. Her heart was breaking, threatening to crumble completely and she had no way of stopping it. She felt completely numb apart from the crippling pain in her chest.

Fleur had been sure that he'd been different, that he could see beyond her beauty and glimpse her soul. She had been sure that he knew her heart like no one had ever known her before. In the space of one short week she'd felt more alive than ever before in the whole 17 years of her life. It was over though. He'd been no different to any of the others. He'd tired of her so quickly and left as if that week had meant nothing. His excuse had been even one of the most rehearsed she had ever heard.

FLASHBACK

"Fleur, please listen. I care for you, really I do. But you know like everyone else does that it's a dangerous world and I really don't have time for a relationship. I'm sorry. Just go back to France where you'll be safe." Bill had whispered to her when she'd seen him leaving the castle accompanied by his father.

"Goodbye." Fleur hissed. How had she let that happen? She never let men into her life she'd always hidden behind a serene mask. Emotions made her weak and vulnerable so she'd hidden them, that was until Bill had come into her life and she'd let him see her heart. She'd finally been herself. Fleur realised that the pain she felt was her own fault for expecting Bill to be any different to other men. She wouldn't let him see her pain now so she forced a smile onto her face.

"I understand. It isn't as if it actually meant anything." She said in a falsely sugar sweet voice accompanied by a small giggle then turned and fled before she could see his reaction.

END OF FLASHBACK

A small hand on her shoulder pulled Fleur out of her thoughts and she turned sharply to see her younger sister Gabrielle standing behind her.

"We have to go Fleur. The tournament is over and mum wants us both away from here as soon as possible." Fleur felt herself nod and get up to follow Gabrielle as if it were another being controlling her body. Together the two girls made their way up the steep grassy verge and towards the powder blue carriage that was waiting to return them to Beauxbatons. Fleur's mother was standing beside the door a stressed look on her face waiting impatiently for her daughters to arrive.

"For goodness sake Fleur, what took you so long we have appearances to keep up don't you understand that?"

Fleur stared at her mother sudden anger flaring inside her and she remembered once again how it felt to be herself and not to spend her time trying to please others. All of a sudden she resented her mother for controlling her life, she resented that her mother only cared what other people thought and she resented that she was a puppet in her mother's plans.

"I'm not coming with you." She said in a steady voice which was very unlike her own. Her mother's eyes widened and her face drained of colour.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me mother. I'm not coming with you. I've been offered a job at gringotts in the foreign liaison office. I'll find my own place; I can't live with you anymore. I'm an adult and I can make my own choices." Fleur stood her ground as her mother spluttered and struggled to find the words that would make her come home. It was another five quiet minutes, during which the atmosphere seemed heavy with unspoken grievances between the two women, before her mother finally spoke.

"Go." She spat. The one word and the fury with which it was delivered was enough to assure Fleur that she had made the right choice.

"Tell papa I'll write to him when everything is settled." Fleur whispered and turned in her heel before making her way towards the wrought iron gates which marked the edge of the anti-apparition spell. For a second she stood rocking on her heels wondering whether she had in fact made the biggest mistake of her life but if Fleur was anything she was stubborn and she would finish what she'd started. With a loud crack and the sensation of passing through time and space, which could never be described as anything but unpleasant, she apparated straight into the bar of the leaky cauldron.

"May I have a room for the night? Please." She asked the ancient bartender. He handed her a key and she made her way up the stairs. Once in the small room she had been assigned she collapsed onto the bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

A/N. This is my first fanfic so I really would appreciate it if anybody could just review and let me know how I did and how I could improve. Thanks for reading