Part Two

Harry was usually glad that the Weasleys were a large family, since it filled in the family-shaped void that had tainted his childhood, but the problem with the Weasleys being a large family was that a lot of family get-togethers occurred, and Fleur attended nearly all of them. That was never a problem until Harry drank too much wine and kissed Fleur repeatedly at her daughter's birthday party.

And now, a mere two weeks after the birthday party incident, Harry found himself at the annual Weasley picnic at the Burrow, seated between Ginny, who had relaxed her guard since Gabrielle was nowhere nearby, and Percy, who seemed to believe that Harry was just dying to hear about some boring law he was hoping to devise at the Ministry.

"So, Harry," said Percy, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses for about the twelfth time. "What is your opinion on Floo Powder abuse?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Harry said absently, stifling a yawn.

Percy cleared his throat importantly and sat up straighter on his corner of the picnic blanket, clearly overjoyed at the chance to explain something in mundane detail. "I don't know if you are aware, but there are some witches and wizards out there who, ah... how to put this delicately? These witches and wizards like to use Floo Powder recreationally."

"Isn't that what you normally do with Floo Powder?"

"No, no, not at all, Harry. Ordinary, well-behaved witches and wizards use Floo Powder for transportation purposes. These, ah, social degenerates I spoke of earlier have found a highly inappropriate, possibly illegal alternate use for the powder that goes entirely against the powder's intended use."

Harry must have been gaping like an idiot because George said, "Perce is trying to say that some people snort Floo Powder."

"Oh."

"I was trying to put it delicately, George," said Percy. "I don't wish to offend Harry when I'm unaware of his views on the matter. Now Harry, what is your opinion on Floo Powder abuse?"

Personally Harry wondered if someone had been drugging his food and drink with Floo Powder, or something similar, because he couldn't stop sneaking glances at Fleur. The two of them hadn't said a word to each other, aside from an awkward "Hi" at the start of the picnic, and Harry couldn't look her in the face because he feared the word "Cheater!" would magically erupt upon his forehead the moment he met Fleur's eyes. Aside from the occasional glance in her direction, he figured he would spend the whole picnic politely avoiding her, just like he avoided her at Victoire's party, which involved hiding behind bushes and running off to the bathroom a lot.

"Well, only a prat would snort Floo Powder," Harry said. According to that logic, maybe he should take up a hobby of Floo Powder abuse, because he felt like a prat every time his heart thumped at the sound of Fleur's voice.

"Quite right," said Percy. "Which is why I'm pushing for a law that will make such abuse illegal, and therefore punishable by the authorities."

Harry wished that Ginny would rescue him, but she was deep in a discussion with Hermione about something-or-other, and Harry was stuck listening to Percy list every single reason (in great detail) why Floo Powder abuse was hazardous to the wizarding community and should be prohibited. Since he couldn't just run behind a bush to avoid this situation, Harry decided to use his other key method of avoiding people.

"Sorry, but I need to use the toilet," he lied. "I'll only be a moment." Also a lie.

"Do hurry back," said Percy. "I haven't even told you about the petition I've been planning."

Harry escaped into the house and sat upon the staircase, glad to escape both Percy and the temptation of looking at Fleur. As long as he maintained his self-control and avoided dangerous situations, this picnic was bound to be much better than Victoire's birthday party. The worst thing Harry had done was mistakenly sit next to Percy, but that was nothing compared to his previous big mistake.

No, the picnic had gone off without a hitch so far, and Ginny had no reason to unleash her jealousy. The moment they arrived at the Burrow, Ginny had even smiled and said, "Thank Merlin that little tart Gabrielle won't be here."

Thank Merlin indeed. Gabrielle was the cause of Harry's problems in the first place. If Gabrielle hadn't decided to make Harry her lifelong lust object, then Ginny wouldn't hate her, and if Ginny didn't hate her then Harry wouldn't have tried using Fleur to fix his problems, and if Harry hadn't tried using Fleur then he wouldn't have accidentally kissed her instead, and if he hadn't accidentally kissed her then he wouldn't be sitting on the Weasley's staircase trying not to remember that oh-so-enjoyable kiss.

Good Godric. He wanted to kiss her again and it was all Gabrielle's fault.

Step step step.

Somebody had entered the house.

Harry quickly got off the stairs and tried to walk in a casual manner, as if he had just finished using the bathroom and was now on his way back to the picnic. He didn't expect to walk right into Fleur and spent five seconds blinking at her like an idiot, feeling just like he did when he was fourteen and got tongue-tied every time he saw Cho Chang.

Only this was a hundred times worse.

"Hi," Harry managed to say. It was the second word he had spoken to her all afternoon, though he supposed it didn't count because it was the exact same word he said earlier.

"Harry," said Fleur, maintaining a safe distance away from him. "I wanted to talk. We did not part in the best manner two weeks ago."

"Right," said Harry.

"I hope that what happened didn't cause any... misunderstandings. I am happy with Bill, but I still want us to be friends. We are practically family, after all."

"Of course. I never had any, uh, misunderstandings, and I'd like to be friends, Fleur. That'd be great."

Somehow that safe distance managed to disappear. When did she get so close?

"Good," said Fleur. "Will you walk me back to the picnic?"

She offered her hand and Harry took it, feeling a strange warmth rush through him the moment they made contact. If he was in the mood for being smart and rational, he would have walked Fleur out the door and escorted her back to the picnic, but his brain had apparently stopped functioning a good five minutes ago. Instead he pulled Fleur against him and kissed her the way he been longing to for the last couple of weeks, regardless of all the guilt and confusion that had plagued him at Victoire's party.

If Fleur had been in the mood for being smart and rational, he supposed she would have pulled away or slapped him, but instead she kissed him back. So much for being friends.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized when their lips broke apart. "I don't know why I keep doing this."

"We are both to blame," said Fleur. Her voice had gone very low and she looked at him with eyes that begged for him to continue. "We are fools, both of us."

Harry held both of her hands and prepared to kiss her again when a voice said, "Pardon me, but— Am I interrupting something?"

Sweet Merlin on a pie crust! Harry turned towards the open door and found Percy standing there, adjusting his glasses and blinking awkwardly. "Oh, I'm a prat," Harry moaned, dropping Fleur's hands. "I am a prat. I am the biggest prat in the world."

"Mother wanted to know if you were finished with your plate," said Percy, looking uncomfortable. Fleur remained silent.

"Percy, this isn't what it looks like," Harry said quickly. "Fleur was just helping me with a... a problem." As if he didn't feel terrible enough, the bottom of his nose started to itch and he rubbed at it with a finger.

Percy cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses again. "Harry, you can get help, you know."

Help for what? An uncontrollable tendency to snog his fiancee's sister-in-law? "What?" said Harry.

"You can get help," Percy repeated more slowly. "You don't need to ruin your life, Harry. Though it is true that I'm pushing for your habit to become illegal, I want to help you instead of condemn you. I know of a satisfactory doctor at St. Mungo's who can advise you."

"Percy, what are you talking about?"

"There is no need to lie to me," Percy said in his most imperious I-used-to-be-Head-Boy-so-respect-my-authority voice. "You went to the toilet for a suspicious amount of time. You called yourself a prat. You rubbed your nose just now. Obviously my discussion of Floo Powder awakened your craving and I apologize for bringing up such a sensitive subject at such an inappropriate time."

Fleur raised a confused eyebrow at Harry, while Harry felt more embarrassed than the time Mrs. Weasley walked in on him taking a bath over the Christmas holidays.

Bloody hell in a bucket. Percy thought he was a Floo Powder addict.

Which could actually work to Harry's advantage, come to think of it. "You've caught me, Percy," he said. "I tried my best to hide it, but you caught me. Fleur is the only one who knew of my terrible habit and wanted to suggest a doctor in France."

Fleur quickly caught on and nodded her head. "It is true. I don't want him to ruin his life."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this, Percy," said Harry. "Especially Ginny. I'd like to break the news to her on my own."

"Certainly," said Percy.

The three of them walked back to the picnic and Harry had to admit that walking with Percy and Fleur looked a lot better than walking with just Fleur, even if it was Percy. Percy's presence also crushed any temptation to kiss Fleur again, though Harry didn't feel any less awkward when he returned to the Weasleys and accidentally met Bill's eyes. Why did Bill, with his scarred face, have to look particularly dangerous that afternoon? It was like he was tempting Harry to do something scandalous so he could rip him to shreds.

Oh wait. He already did do something scandalous, on two separate occasions.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked him.

Before Harry got a chance to respond, Percy chuckled in the most awkward way possible and said, "Oh, he's quite all right, Ginny. Just as long as you keep your nose clean, right Harry?"

"Ha. Right." Harry resisted the urge to hex Percy into next week.

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing," said Harry. "Just a joke between me and Percy."

"Percy doesn't joke."

"Yes, but he's trying. Unfortunately he's making a really poor job of it."

"Oh, Harry," said Percy, letting out another awkward chuckle. "This is why your habit is dangerous, you know. It induces you to say preposterous things."

Harry reminded himself to never tell Percy any legitimate secrets, ever. It was a good thing Percy didn't know the real reason Harry was alone with Fleur, or else the entire Weasley family would know before the picnic was over. Harry could just imagine Percy tittering in that cringe-worthy way of his, like he had just learned how to laugh from the most rubbish teacher on earth, and saying, "Do be careful now, Harry. You don't want your lips to stray into claimed territory, do you?" Or "Harry, you haven't behaved improperly with anyone's wife lately, have you? Oh, you haven't? Good, good. I'm exceedingly proud of you."

After everyone finished eating and Mrs. Weasley cleared up the picnic things, Harry managed to get Ron alone in the garden. Well, alone aside from the gnomes running around, but Harry was pretty sure that gnomes had no concept of infidelity and therefore wouldn't judge him for what he was about to say.

"Ron, have you ever thought about kissing Fleur?"

"Loads of times," said Ron.

"Really?"

"Of course. Hard not to, isn't it? You can't be male and not look at Fleur without wanting to give her a good snog."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He suddenly felt a million times better. Of course he couldn't control himself every time he was alone with Fleur. It was simply human nature.

Ron lowered his voice. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but as much as I love Hermione, if I ever did get the chance to snog Fleur, I would do it."

If Harry was engaged to anyone else, or not engaged at all for that matter, he would have confided in Ron and told him what happened between himself and Fleur, but Harry was engaged to Ron's sister. The last thing he wanted was for Ron to have a fit because Harry cheated on his sister, even if it was with Fleur.

Harry laughed and said, "I'd snog her too if I had the chance. Definitely."

"I bet even Percy would do it," said Ron. "We should dare him to one of these days, just to see if he will."

"Sure," Harry said hollowly. He didn't like the thought of anyone kissing Fleur, especially Percy, who—

But that was ridiculous. Fleur was married to Bill and therefore did not belong to Harry. And it wasn't like he cared for her or anything, because his constant urge to kiss her was nothing more than a natural reaction, triggered by the fact that Fleur was a quarter veela.

"You know, she probably wouldn't mind if you did it," said Ron.

"Did what to who?"

"Fleur. She wouldn't mind if you kissed her."

No, she certainly wouldn't. "What makes you say that?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes focused on an extremely fascinating blade of grass.

"Well, she's always liked you more than the rest of us, hasn't she? Aside from Bill, obviously. I mean, after you saved her sister you couldn't do any wrong in her eyes."

"Suppose you're right," Harry murmured.

"I wonder how much we can bribe Percy to give her a snog. As a joke, of course. Do you think he'd do it if we held his old Head Boy badge hostage? He still polishes it every couple of months."

Harry thought about making himself some tea and finding an isolated corner away from all the Weasleys and their spouses. He could certainly use some alone time.