A/N My internet has been down all weekend so I couldn't write anything. I appreciate the support this story has already gotten, y'all really make writing this worthwhile and fun to write. So here's the next chapter, as always enjoy…

Chapter 3

The disorienting effect of apparition quickly faded and then Harry could see one of the most impressive houses he had ever seen. A long gravel road, straight as an arrow, led to two separate staircases that met before a marble archway with two 15-foot tall doors that were covered with a grapevine design made of what looked like gold. The three-story house was graceful and elegant yet Harry noticed the thick walls and powerful wards that bespoke of the power and might of the family that lived within.

"Do you find it impressive?" Jean-Sebastien asked as they began the long walk across the Delacour property, taking their time so that Harry could soak in the carefully maintained gardens filled with every flower imaginable, and the grapevine orchards that stretched as far as Harry could see.

"Yes, you have a beautiful house. Yet I can feel that you have arguably some of the best wards in likely all of France."

Jean-Sebastien's expression turned sour, "Yes we do, they are born out the necessity of keeping our family safe from various European wars and other reasons."

"What other reasons?"

Somehow Jean-Sebastien turned even more sour, "That is something I am afraid you will have to ask my wife or daughter about for I am not the one who should speak with you about this."

Seeing that this current avenue of discussion had just been closed, Harry continued his observing of the house as they drew closer to it. What caught Harry's eye was not the intricate details that only now could be seen, but looking out at them from a second story window was a girl who was easily the most beautiful he had ever seen. Despite his knowledge of women being confined to the occasional yet extremely brief visits he would make with Remus to towns nearby their hideout whenever they needed more supplies. Despite only briefly looking Harry could tell by her silvery blonde hair and her angelic face that she put every girl in those villages to shame.

"Ah it would appear my daughter has noticed us." Jean-Sebastien while briefly looking at Harry only to see him returning eye contact with him. Harry saw a brief look of approval flash across Jean-Sebastien's face but it was gone before he could be sure he had seen it.

Once the two reached the massive doors the doors swung open silently and Harry walked into the main hall of the house. The marble floors led to a large central staircase that rose to the higher levels. Two doorways to his left and right led to other rooms inside the house.

"Honey, I'm home." Jean-Sebastien called out, "And Fleur would you please come down here." As he said this Jean-Sebastien led Harry to the right and opened the door which led them into the drawing room. "Please take a seat while we wait on my family." He said as he gestured towards the plush furniture that all surrounded a fire that was cheerfully burning.

Harry sat in a wooden chair that had been shoved in the corner of the room, so that he could see the entire room and also so that he wouldn't become complacent in the comforts of the room. Jean-Sebastien looked surprised yet approving of Harry's choice of seating. "You don't have to worry about anyone in this home Harry, and you don't need to concern yourself with such precautionary measures here." Harry said nothing but still didn't move. "Suit yourself, brandy?"

"Sorry but no, I always try to retain full control of my faculties at all times." Harry said. His choices were born from the endless lessons on constant vigilance that Remus had taught him.

As soon as Jean-Sebastien sat down two women who were so close in appearance that they could almost be mistaken as sister walked in. Jean-Sebastien rose and greeted the one Harry assumed to be his wife with a hug, and then greeted the girl Harry had seen in the window in a similar fashion. The two women scanned the room and noticed Harry in the corner.

"And this must be the one we hired to protect Fleur." Jean-Sebastien's wife stated less as a question and more as a mere statement of facts. Harry noticed that when the women spoke about protecting Fleur that the girl who at this point must have been Fleur had a dark expression.

"Yes my name is Harry Potter." Harry said as he rose to greet the two newcomers.

"It is a pleasure I am Jean-Sebastien's wife Apolline, and this our daughter Fleur." Fleur greeted him pleasantly yet Harry could easily see through the false mask and saw the apparent irritation towards Harry.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Harry." Apolline then addressed her husband, "I trust he is capable of carrying out his duty."

"Yes before I left with him he was tested and I am pleased to say that Fleur will be in capable hands." Jean-Sebastien said putting his wife's worries to rest.

Apolline seemed reassured by her husbands words and rose to address the group. "Well if you don't mind I have family business to attend to." She quickly left through the door which led to the main room in the house.

"I do believe that I must be leaving as well, take this time to get acquainted with each other." Jean-Sebastien said as he too rose to leave. Once he left and the two were left alone a silence filled the room as Fleur simply sat there, studying Harry with an intense gaze. Soon Harry could feel a small nagging voice in the back of his mind that was telling him to do anything possible to impress her. Annoyed with the voice in his head Harry quickly ignored the voice and continued to sit there.

Only after several more minutes of ignoring the increasingly loud voice in his head did Fleur deign to speak. "Most interesting, very few can hold out that long."

"What exactly do you mean?"

Fleur did not answer for a while but once the voice went away she spoke. "Did you feel a voice in your head telling you do things to say, try and impress me?" She asked.

Harry could feel himself growing slightly suspicious, maybe the voice hadn't been as random as he had assumed. "Yes I could but I just simply ignored it." His answer came as a pleasant surprise to Fleur who sat there with a slight smile on her face. It was a good thing Fleur took a while to say anything because her smile, slight as it was, left him completely breathless and if she had asked him anything he was not confident in his ability to form a coherent answer.

"What you just felt was something known as a veela's allure, it is something we naturally emit that causes people, particularly males, to try and impress us. Typically it makes people act like complete idiots. Normally I am able to suppress it but I wanted to try it out on you to see if you could withstand it and I am pleased to say that you passed my little test." Harry was displeased because of her attempted influence of him but he could at least see the reasoning behind it. Fleur then rose from her chair, "Come, walk with me outside."

The two walked in an awkward silence towards the flower garden outside the Delacour home. "Who tends to the flower garden? I've yet to see any house elves that could do it." Harry asked trying to start a conversation.

"No, the house elves do not care for the garden. My sister and I both enjoy this garden and the care of it as kind of a way to escape the magical world." As she got on her knees to observe a rose bush.

"Your father mentioned something to me earlier and he wouldn't explain what he meant except to ask either you or your mother."

"And what would that be?" She asked while turning her head to look up at him.

"He mentioned the wards were for protecting the family from war and he had other reasons that he wouldn't tell me." Harry explained as Fleur stood and rose to her full height.

"I know what my father speaks of and I only tell you because you need to know for your job." Seeing Harry's confirmatory nod she continued. "The other thing the wards protect us from are from slavers who would try to kidnap me, my mom, and my sister. On the slave market veela are considered extremely valuable as sex slaves for obvious reasons."

"At that would be the main reason I am here."

"Yes." Fleur said as they walked into the pristine rows of grapevines. "Don't get me wrong Harry, I appreciate you being here and I appreciate my father wanting to protect me, but the main reason I am so irritated with you is that your presence represents the fact that my father doesn't trust me with my own protection. I am currently the top of my class and will be in my sixth year yet he still won't let me defend myself."

Harry could understand what she was saying, when he first started going on missions Remus insisted that both Sirius and himself were with Harry the entire time. "I'm sure your father is aware of your skill but if I have learned one thing in my life it's that you always want somebody watching your back in case you missed something."

Fleur sent him an appreciative smile and Harry could feel himself get light-headed. He realized that he was going to have to figure out a way to stop that from happening in the future. "You asked where our house elves were, they are currently tending to the grapevines. When the Delacours first settled here after leaving Britain they built this grapevine as a way to earn a living. My ancestors used that money to turn the Delacours into one of the richest families in France." She said as she ran her hand along the recently watered and still wet grapevines.

"A lovely story but I think we need to be heading back now." The sun had nearly completed its descent and Harry judged that it was probably close to seven o'clock now.

When the two reentered the house Apolline walked out of the dining room and was pleased to see them getting to know each other. "Dinner is ready you two." And with that she turned around and went into the dining room.

When Harry walked in he was surprised by the massive size of the room, it fit a table that could easily seat 100 people, maybe more. Jean-Sebastien sat on the end closest to them and with him was Apolline and another girl that was like a carbon copy of Fleur except much younger. "Harry it is good to see you again, this is my youngest daughter Gabrielle." Jean-Sebastien said, however he pulled Harry aside and in a whisper added, "And while she won't be coming with you to Hogwarts can you at least look out for her at Beauxbatons? Being a veela there isn't easy for both of them."

"Of course." Harry said and then took his seat beside Fleur.

Once they were all seated several house elves walked in and began to serve food and wine to the guests. Apparently they heard Harry's earlier words for they gave him water instead, much to Harry's satisfaction. They ate in relative silence only making a little small talk. Throughout the meal though, Harry could see Gabrielle making suggestive looks at Fleur and Harry, much to Fleur's chagrin.

"Is there something I should know about?" Harry quietly asked Fleur. Harry could see a faint blush on Fleur's cheeks when he asked this.

"Sorry about Gabrielle, she thinks that we are going to be the topic of the next great romance story. She insists that you will be the bodyguard that just sweeps me off my feet and marries me." Fleur explained as she gave Gabrielle a pointed look, not seeing the blush that also grew on Harry's face.

After dinner a house elf showed Harry to his rooms which he noticed were right next to Fleur's. Gabrielle said something to Fleur in French which from what Harry heard was a highly suggestive comment about the proximity of their rooms.

Fleur simply ignored the comment and walked straight into her room, slamming the door on her sister who had an impish smile on her face. Harry also walked in his room which was sparsely furnished. A bed sat in one corner with a desk and chair across from it with bookshelves lining one of the walls. Harry didn't bother to unpack what he had brought, he simply fell onto the bed and drifted into sleep.

The following weeks progressed in much the same way, Harry and Fleur would take long walks through the flower garden and the grapevines while Gabrielle teased Fleur about Harry in French, never realizing that Harry as well knew perfect French. Once the school year was about to begin the Delacours took Harry with them to the main shopping district in magical Paris for the books they would need that year.

Before Harry knew it they were standing before Chateau Beauxbatons. Beauxbatons was breathtaking, with the soaring archways and intricately carved stone walls. Gabrielle had already sprinted off with the other excited first years leaving Harry and Fleur to walk with all the others. Harry could feel everyone staring at the two of them and could hear people whispering about them. Harry was about to do something but Fleur grabbed his arm in an implied message of shut up. Looking at her Harry could see a smile on her face, but it wasn't the warm smile that could make him go light headed, this was the smile of indifference she had when she was around others. Harry immediately decided that he hated that smile, hated how wound up she acted with others.

Once they arrived in the great hall Harry and Fleur looked for Gabrielle but couldn't find her in their cursory glance so they both just sat down in the back corner, away from the others. Few of the teachers had arrived yet and all the students were sitting around the tables. Harry saw one of the students from across the hall stood and looked at both of them with a sneer on his face.

He then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted as loud as he could, "Hey look everybody! I guess the veela whore managed to ensnare another guy!" He said. Harry looked towards Fleur and despite the mask of indifference he could see the pain in her eyes. "Hey you!" The kid was addressing Harry now, "How many different people has she slept with behind your back?!" The pain in Fleur's eyes deepened and as the kid drew breath to say more Harry knew he had to act. Harry's mind went on autopilot and before he realized what he was doing he sent a knife spinning across the room, light reflecting off of it as it flew towards its target.

A/N At the end I tried to add a little something in terms of excitement to make up for the boring chapter this inevitably was. If this chapter bored you to tears then I am sorry, I'll work on a way to hand you a tissue through my computer. I couldn't come up with a good title for this chapter so I left it blank, if any of you have a brilliant idea of what it should be then let me know.