Own Heart's Delight

Disclaimer: JKR's Characters and settings: My Ideas (Sort of) Your time: Thanks for reading

After breakfast the next morning Neville hurried off to the Beauxbaton's carriage in order to meet Fleur for their first date. Neville nervously stood at the door to the carriage and tried to summon up enough courage to knock on the door. Just as he was about to knock, the door was opened by Henri Delacour.

"Bonjour Neville, you are just the young man that I was hoping to meet." Neville marvelled at the flawless English spoken by Monsieur Delacour.

"Good morning sir," Neville replied, "I was just about to meet Fleur. She wanted to give me dancing lessons before the Yule Ball."

Henri smiled kindly at his eldest daughter's saviour. "Neville, I wanted to thank you for helping my Fleur. She is the apple of my eye and I am grateful that no lasting harm was done to her."

Neville blushed at the older man's gratitude. "It's nothing sir. Anybody would have done as much if not more than I did."

Monsieur Delacour chuckled at Neville's remarks. He wondered at the transformation that Neville would undergo by being with his daughter. "Nonsense Neville, It was very brave and noble of you. If I may give you a piece of advice before you see Fleur; don't put yourself down around her – she won't put up with it."

Henri led Neville into a sitting room to wait for Fleur. He looked at his watch, she had told him to get here at precisely 9:30. He smiled to himself and noted that he was exactly on time. Neville looked around the sitting room as he waited for his date. Twenty-seven minutes and thirteen seconds later, Fleur waltzed into the sitting room. "Bonjour Neville, I hope zat you did not mind waiting for me." She hugged Neville as he stood up and then kissed him on each cheek.

Neville remembered his grandmother's words about waiting for a girl, "Now Neville, a gentlemen will never let his frustration show when his date makes him wait."

"Hi Fleur, of course I don't mind, in fact I'm flattered that you took this much time to get ready for our date." Fleur smiled at his words and kissed him on the cheek again.
On the other side of the door to the sitting room, Henri smiled at the manners shown by the young man.

Neville shyly took hold of Fleur's hand. "I asked Professor McGonagall if we could use her classroom to practice in." He led Fleur out of the door and into the castle.

While they made their way to the classroom, they drew several curious glances and comments.

"Ignore zem Neville, zey are jealous zat I 'ave chosen you," Fleur whispered in Neville's ear. Once inside the transfiguration room Fleur cast a locking charm on the door and clever charm that turned the window glass opaque.

Fleur tapped the wireless that was sitting in the corner and a slow waltz began to play. Neville blushed as he took Fleur's hand in his left and placed his right hand on the small of her back. As they moved to the music Neville concentrated on not stepping on Fleur's toes. It didn't help as Fleur was continually wincing as they danced. Finally a frustrated Fleur pointed her wand at the wireless and it went silent.

"Neville, you must learn to relax, oui?" Neville just blushed. "When we are dancing look into zese eyes and relax. You know what zey say, Neville, dancing eez making love standing up." If anything, Fleur's words made him even more nervous.

As Neville composed himself, Fleur pointed her wand at the wireless and it began to play again. This time Neville concentrated on looking in Fleur's eyes and nothing else. Together they glided around the room as if they were dancing on the clouds. The couple kept dancing until Fleur's stomach gave an un-lady like rumble.

Fleur giggled as Neville was mesmerized by her musical laugh. "Zat was wonderful Neville." She hugged him tightly. Then together they left for the great hall to get lunch. They sat across from Harry and Hermione whose faces were still red from an intense snogging session before lunch. Ron, who was sitting by Seamus and Dean, was looking very angry as he stared at the happy couples.

After a quick lunch Neville and Fleur returned to the transfiguration classroom to continue their practice. This time, rather than the slow waltzes that had been playing, much faster songs played over the wireless. Fleur began to move her body to the fast beat. Neville stared at her hypnotized. Finally he began to move to the music as he concentrated on Fleur's electric blue eyes. Where her movements were graceful, sultry and sensual, Neville's dancing was clumsy and awkward. Slowly as the music continued to play their movements became more synchronized. As Neville became more comfortable with moving his body the awkwardness disappeared and again there were only the blue eyes of Fleur Delacour.

They sat down to catch their breath. Neville was infatuated as he noticed how the sweat on Fleur's beautiful face seemed to make her skin glow. Fleur removed two bottles of butter beer from the bag that she had brought with her. Together they talked and got to know each other a little bit better.

Fleur suggested that they continue to practice. This time slow jazz music poured from the wireless. Fleur walked up to Neville and put her arms around his neck and began to move her body to the music. She took one hand from Neville's neck and used it to place His hand on her hip. She then did the same with his other hand. Fleur pulled her body closer to Neville's and rested her head on his shoulder. She smiled to herself as she felt Neville's erection pressing against her stomach.

Fleur removed her head from Neville's shoulder and looked into his eyes. She smiled as Neville blushed and tried to put a little space between their bodies. Neville looked into Fleur's eyes and gently kissed her lips for the first time. Fleur used her allure to enthral Neville as she deepened the kiss. Seeming to have a mind of their own, Neville's hands trailed down and gripped Fleur's bum as their tongues danced.

Somewhere in the back of Neville's mind he felt when Fleur had begun to use her allure. He knew that he wasn't ready to take their relationship farther. After all, they had only started talking to each other yesterday. With a great deal of determination, Neville managed to untangle himself from Fleur.

"I'm sorry, Fleur, but we need to stop."

Fleur gave Neville a look of disbelief. "Non? What is ze matter Neville? Do you not find me attractive?" Fleur began to pout. Neville wanted nothing more than to start kissing her again.

"It's not that Fleur. It's just that I felt your magic change while we were kissing. It was the same change I felt when you told Harry that he should ask Hermione to the Yule ball. I don't want to take advantage of you Fleur. If our relationship ever gets to that point that I fall in love with you, then I want it to be for you and not because of your Veela magic. I'm Sorry Fleur."

"Eet wuz not your fault Neville. Zen you zaved me from zose bastards – you zaved me from a fate worse zan death. Zere are times when I can control my allure, but when I am in zee arms of ze one I 'ave chosen for my mate zen I cannot control eet." A solitary tear began to glide down Fleur's cheek. Neville zen you said you want to love me for my zelf zan you 'ave given me zee greatest geeft a Veela can want from 'er mate."

Neville's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Finally he managed to squeak out the words. "You want me to be your mate? You don't even know me."

"Oui Neville, I have chosen you. When you zave a Veela or part Veela from 'arm zen she wil want to bond weeth you. We are attracted to zose who are both brave and kind."

Neville kissed Fleur one more time. Can I walk you to supper tonight? After supper, maybe we can talk and get to know each other better.

After another supper where Ron ate and stared at Harry and Hermione, Luna Lovegood had had enough. After dessert she walked up to the Gryffindor table and pulled Ron by the ear from the great hall and into the closest classroom. Run was about to start yelling at Luna when she cut him off. "Look Ronald, if you don't change your attitude towards Harry and Hermione, then you can find yourself another date. I'd rather not go to the ball at all then be escorted by someone whose head is full of nargles."

"I'm sorry Luna, but you don't understand, Hermione is supposed to fall in love with me – not Harry."

Luna sighed in exasperation. "How do you figure that, Ron? Have you ever told Hermione that you have feelings for her?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders in response. "No, but we fight all the time, that means we really love each other."

Luna shook her head. "You, Ron Weasley, are a total arse. With logic like that it's a wonder that you're not in Ravenclaw. You imbecile, using your brilliant reasoning and logic; Hermione should actually marry Malfoy because with the way he treats her, he would be her soul mate."

Ron did a first class imitation of a gold fish. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his neighbour Luna Lovegood would have the nerve to tell him off.

She pulled of her radish earrings and threw them at Ron. "After you get over yourself and pull your head out of your arse, use those to get rid of the wrackspurts that are messing up your brain. When you learn to want what you have rather than what was never yours to begin with come and talk to me," Luna yelled.

Luna raced from the classroom with tears in her eyes. Why couldn't that stupid git love her?

Ron felt like a bludger had hit him in the head. The truth of Luna's words was still ringing in his ears. He realized that Luna understood him like no one else. The only problem was who to apologize to first. Neville went through all the people that his jealousy had affected. The one conclusion that rang true in his heart was finding Luna.

Ron ran around the castle looking for the stairway that would lead him to the Ravenclaw tower. After frantically searching for almost 25 minutes, Ron was on the verge of going back to his dorm and asking Harry if he could borrow the marauders map. Finally he saw two students with Ravenclaw colours going up a long staircase and he charged after them. Finally at the top of the stairs, the two Ravenclaws turned around to glare at the heavily panting form of Ron Weasley.

"Are you lost Gryff? This isn't your common room," the taller of the two Ravenclaws asked.

"I know where I am, and I need to see Luna Lovegood. Can you get her for me?"

The two boys looked at each other and laughed. "Why on earth do you want to see Looney?"

"None of your damn business, just get her for me please?"

It was twenty minutes later when the door to the Ravenclaw common room opened. A dark haired third year opened the door. "Oh you're still here are you? Luna doesn't want to see you – ever."

"Please tell her that I need to see her, I have to apologize."

The dark hair looked sceptically at Ron and closed the door. It was after curfew when the door finally opened again. Ron was curled up in a ball with his cloak draped over him in order to try and keep warm. Instead of Luna it was Professor Flitwick that opened the door.

"It's after curfew Mr. Weasley, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry Professor, I did something to hurt Luna and I wanted to apologise, but she won't talk to me."

"I see, but be that as it may it is time that you get back to your own common room. You can try to see her in the morning."

Ron slowly made the long trip back to the Gryffindor common room. Each step he took was sheer agony. When he finally got to the portrait hole, Ron endured a lecture from the painting of the fat lady. His only comment was to say "I resemble those remarks"

As he walked into the room he spotted Hermione sitting on Harry's lap. In between kisses the two were reading the same book. Hermione being the faster reader would start to kiss Harry's neck and nip at his ear lobe until he finished the page.

Neville was in another corner studying from his charms textbook. His feet seemed to be moving to some tune that only Neville could hear and there was a strange yet happy smile on his face. "Excuse me Neville, could I talk to you for a minute?"

Neville was a bit surprised that Ron wanted to talk to him, after all Ron would usually hang out with Harry and Hermione or his brothers. "Sure Ron, what would you like to talk about?"

"I just wanted to apologize for acting jealous when Fleur asked you to the ball. I know that you saved her from Malfoy and his friends. I hope that the two of you are happy together."

"Thanks Ron, I really appreciate that."

Ron got up and walked over to Harry and Hermione and waited for them to notice him. From across the room he heard a frustrated second year by the name of Romilda Vane call out, "All right we get it. The two of you like each other. Can you give it rest now?"

Ron rounded on the girl and her group of friends. "Mind your own business, you little runts. If anybody in this school deserves some happiness in his life, it's Harry. So leave him and Hermione alone." Everybody that was still awake in the common room turned around to look at Ron. Romilda and her friends took off up the stairs, crying. Fred and George stood up and applauded their little brother.

Hermione and Harry broke apart and looked at Ron sheepishly. Harry smiled at his two best friends. "I just wanted to apologize for acting like a jealous git since the two of you got together. I was under the strange delusion that Hermione and I would get together because we fought all the time. Luna set me straight, but in the process she dumped me and is refusing to talk to me. I spent the last two hours waiting outside the Ravenclaw common room so I could apologise to her." Ron hung his head.

Hermione gave Ron a small smile, "Don't worry Ron. She will come around. If it will help at all we will talk to her for you."

"Thanks Hermione. I meant what I said, after everything that the two of you have been through so far; you deserve to be happy with each other." With that he got up and went to bed.

Ron spent the night tossing and turning, but he just couldn't sleep.

In the morning he and Neville were the first two out of bed. They walked together to the great Hall. Ron sat at the Gryffindor table alone, waiting for a chance to talk to Luna.

Neville went out the front door. On the way to the Beauxbatons carriage he stopped by the muggle plant section of greenhouse one and cut one single rose for Fleur. Professor Sprout just shook her head as Neville walked by whistling a happy tune. He was met at the entrance to the carriage by Madame Maxime, who escorted Neville into the sitting room where he waited for Fleur to make her entrance.

Fleur was radiant and a large smile stretched across her face as she spotted Neville waiting patiently for her. She ran over to Neville and after accepting the rose she gave him a toe curling kiss. They went to the great Hall for breakfast together.

Once seated at the table they looked at a forlorn Ron Weasley who sat alone with a plate full of food that he hadn't touched. His gaze was fixed on the empty space at the Ravenclaw table where Luna usually sat.