Disclaimer: I don't own Fleur, Beauxbatons, or anything else thought up by JKR. However, I do own the personalties of most of the characters (Gabrielle, her mother, etc) all OCs, and the plot. Yay!
Chapter 2
Seeing her sister again made her remember. Remembering hurt, it hurt a whole fucking lot. Some people say it's like pouring salt on an old wound, but for Fleur it was like being cut into again, bleeding again, being wounded again.
She had a dream that night; only it was a dream that had happened, a few years ago…
Fleur was sixteen years old, and her seven year old sister tagged behind her like a talking, whining shadow. She didn't mind, most days.
Fleur tied her hair back in a braid, so she could bend over to pour tea in the plastic pathetic excuses for tea cups for her and her little sister. Gabrielle clapped and giggled every time she saw the hot liquid splash against the bottom of the cup, and begin to fill with beverage.
In the other room, her Aunt Georgette helped her Mere tie together the straps of her wedding dress. She had come down from the ever glamorous Paris to help put up decorations in the yard, find a priest and something old, new, borrowed and blue.
She'd be marrying a man named Dominic Delacour, letting his name pour over her old lover's (which had been Le Fevere, the last name that had been printed on her and Gabrielle's birth certificates. But since good ol' "Dominic" planned to adopt them after the marriage, they would not keep these names for long) surname, let herself pour into a new mold, one she thought she'd be happy in.
Fleur sipped her tea, wishing she was back at Beauxbatons. She'd been excused from her classes for a week by her beefy headmaster, Madame Maxime, who'd actually sent her mother a "Congratulations" Owl, because of this damn wedding, a wedding she did not want to attend.
Perhaps she would want to be at the wedding, if the man her mother was marrying wasn't a greasy muggle who seemed only to care about getting into her pants.
The dream flashed to a new scene. She was wearing a pale pink Brides maid dress, and hiding in the dark of the closet.
She could hear her mother roaming the house, shrilly calling out her name.
Fleur! Fleur! The reception is about to start! You must come have cake, come dance with you Grandfather!
Tears were streaming down her face, mascara blackening her rosy cheeks, sobs hurting her throat.
There had been an hour between the ceremony and the reception, so people could get organized to dance, sing drunken versions of sailor songs without music, and make speeches no one will remember or truly believe.
Fleur had been about to step out of her brides maids dress and into something more comfortable to dance around in, when Dominic stepped in.
Fleur gasped and he smiled as she stumbled to pull up the straps of her dress.
"Fleur. What a pretty name for a pretty girl." He smiled, and she blushed furiously…
She woke with a start, his face burning in her mind, that night burning in her mind, and she wished she could let go of it, how she wished…
Before she knew it the tears were falling, and the sun was rising. She couldn't start the day like this, she was supposed to be free here, she was supposed to be free.
Life was just too hard. She finally felt her sore joints and muscles when she stood, finally saw her ruined self in the mirror. Her skin, drooped, her eyes black with bags. The memories couldn't be forgotten today.
When a patient is very, very good and impresses everyone with their saneness, they get one day. One day to go out into the real world and act very not crazy, so you can wake up and enter that real world every day (if you behave on your one day that is.)
Everyone calls it "Judgment Day" The nurses and doctors call it "Visit Day."
"Fleur Delacour, because of your good behavior and progress, you are granted one visit day." Said the crinkled face nurse, professionally, smiling so her nose smooshed, "If all goes well with visit day, you will be released soon."
"Thank you." She said softly, nodding.
"Honey, maybe this will sound rude…but don't you want to take the curse off?" She said, peering at Fleur with honey suckle disgust.
"There is no counter curse." She said quickly, and swallowed down the sick sweet taste of lies.
"Of course, I forgot." She said flatly, and smiled, handing Fleur her pass. "Your guide will be waiting by the door."
"Mind me asking where you are going?"
Fleur smiled sweetly, "Yes." And swooshed best she could out of the room.
She was annoyed to see her guide was a man. Being raised by her mother, she had a certain opinion about men.
Sunlight streaked across her bedroom, lighting up the dust particles that bathed in the warmth. Fleur sat on her carpet, picking up marbles and counting them, then throwing them down again.
The day was lazy. She could hear Gabrielle crying in the other room, and her mother attempted to coo her into silence. She could hear the distant sounds of the birds looking for food down by the pond. She could smell the rain about to come and blot out the sun, and muddy the earth.
Then, she heard a new sound. It was her mother's pumps against the hard wood floor of the hall way, approaching her doorway.
Her mother did not smile when Fleur looked up at her. Something else was inked into her face.
"I need to talk to you, Fleur."
"Is something wrong, Maman?" She asked cautiously, approaching her mother, as she sat on the bed.
"I worry about you, Fleur." She said softly, "I don't want you to end up in my situation…"
Fleur was lost for words, and in her Mere's silence, all that was heard was the springs in her mattress as she uncomfortably shifted to and fro.
"Men…I suppose I should explain them to you. It's been a year since you're father's been gone."
"I know."
"Well, it doesn't matter Fleur. All men are like your Papa. They only care about one thing…They only want to keep women as objects for themselves. Like dolls. Do you understand?"
"I think."
"Well, you must learn to be in control of the situation. Never let any man take advantage of your kind heart. He will just crush it…Fleur, you are going to be a very beautiful girl. That will make men want you, sweetheart. But they are all pigs. Men are only using you. So, do the same. Use them to your advantage, don't let them own you. Promise me that."
Fleur looked at her mother, who was not looking at her, but was glaring at nothing, arms crossed. She was not really sure of what she should say. She didn't understand what her mother meant. She was scaring her, and she wanted her to leave.
So, she smiled, and said, "Of course, Maman."
Her mother smiled, and got up, and Fleur was left alone with her words.
She never really believed her Mere, all the men she had met were kind. She had loved her Papa, very much. She didn't understand.
Well, until she met Dominic.
Why hadn't her mother seen the monster in him?
The man did not look like much of a man though. He was younger than Fleur with a boyish smile and freckles dotting across his nose.
No, he wasn't a threat or anything.
"So, I'll be your guide today, my name is Nino." He was looking at her strangely, but Fleur was used to this. It wasn't everyday you saw someone like her…
"Fleur Delacour." She said softly, then adopted a business like manner, "I have three places I would like to go."
"Really? Let's hear then."
"My mother's estate."
"That's fine."
"London."
"Purpose?"
"Visiting my sister, Gabrielle."
He nodded, "The last place?"
"Beauxbatons School of Magic."
AN: Yay! Another chapter through with! I just want to clarify that her mother's opinion of men is not mine. I don't hate dudes; actually I like them very very much. Make sure to tell me what you think, and REVIEW!, like these ones did:
Sk8ergirl:
Hey, glad you like! Here's an update!
Omg, thank you sooo much for the mother and father thing! As you can tell, I used it right away.
Sia:
Why, thank you! I did know Fleur meant flower, actually one of the very very few things I do know in French…ah, two years, and you still don't know much? That sucks. You're teacher must be lazy. Or since all you're learning is food, hungry all the time…hehe j/k thanks so much.
Tekvah Ariel:
Actually, that's exactly what I want to do! I wouldn't leave my English readers in the dark. I love you all too much!
Thanks y'all