J: Hello all! Here is another chapter for you! Thank you for being so patient with the postings. I know they are totally random but you are all great so, I thank you!

To address some of your comments, yes Harry mistakenly sent his stag patronus without even thinking. YIKES. I really wanted to stir the pot a bit more so there should be a pretty intense chapter coming up here. Depending on your thoughts and reviews will also help me decide which path I want to take so keep them coming!

This chapter was very interesting because I wanted to world build a bit since we really only get a snapshot of the Paris Ministry of Magic in The Crimes of Grindelwald and a place like this is never really mentioned in the books. It was more difficult than I anticipated, but hopefully I was able to paint a picture well enough for you.

As for the ice cream scene, I wanted to show that their relationship is really growing with a solid friendship foundation and that they are not afraid to be themselves with each other. That being said, Gabrielle's "dare" ice cream really does exist although it tastes better in the muggle world than it does for them. And Harry's is based off a real food. I have included links so you can read up on it yourself if you would like as well as a video. WARNING: the video is not for the faint of heart. If you have a queasy stomach, DON'T WATCH IT. I made that mistake while I was eating.

slideshows/worlds-strangest-ice-cream

/culture-traditions/the-sour-herring-premiere/

watch?v=e-qflm0APTk

Also, I have never visited Paris or even the U.K. so I apologize if I royally screwed anything up in regards to culture or how things really are. I tried to research a bit so I hope I did it justice. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not I!

Chapter 7

Harry's feet landed unsteadily on the pavement after the side along apparation. He looked around himself to gather his bearings and make sure Gabrielle was still by his side when he fully realized where they were standing.

Harry was surprised to be confronted with a giant three-pointed arch that seemed to lead into another part of the street. He could see people bustling about, conversing with one another, eating, and shopping. The area seemed to be rather busy. The archway they now stood before could, more than likely fit two fully grown people in height at the tallest point and nearly five times in width. The street before them had shop signs that were wrought in iron and brandished the store's names so they could be easily distinguished and the same lay behind them. The cobblestone street was decorated with pots of plants and hanging ivy.

A smug look had spread across Gabrielle's face as Harry raised his brows with confusion. They were apparently still in muggle Paris, and he hoped his bewildered look encouraged Gabrielle to clear the air.

Gabrielle giggled slightly as she raised her wand. She began to touch the arch in three separate points: once on the ground to the right, once to the left, and then raised her wand above her head to the highest point. She swiftly brought her wand down, and as she did, a curtain seemed to fall before them. A sheer glimmer of magic appeared to slip through the ground to gradually reveal a brand-new cobblestone street. If Harry had blinked, he would have missed the magnificent reveal of this new place.

Harry's jaw dropped at the sight before him. While what he saw quite reminded him of Diagon Alley, there were things he never would have imagined existed. The shops seemed to stretch on for miles, ranging from apothecaries and clothing stores to cafes, restaurants, and other shops that sold amenities and various household objects. One shop in particular that was nearby seemed to be selling furniture of all kinds in an array of bright colors. There was life and color within every inch of the walk, with confetti and fireworks that littered the skies, even in broad daylight. Advertisements for brooms were actually being displayed through trials at one of the nearby broom shops (a young boy with a Beauxbatons scarf whizzed past them, flying just to the top of the buildings), a live phoenix was singing his soft, melodic song off in the distance, a group of young French witches were discussing a particular potion's properties in the hopes of passing their summer homework, and items that Harry had never seen before decorated the windows and walkways. However, the one attraction that caught Harry's attention the most was the fact that everything was so orderly and pristine; a near opposite of Diagon Alley. While the entire alley gave you the sense that everything was magically being held together or reached to astronomical heights, it was so pleasing to the eye that you wouldn't have noticed the magic holding everything together unless you knew what to look for. Banners seemed to float in midair advertising for herbs from the local shops, clothing, potions, furnishing, sweets, even music. A band of witches and wizards played soft background music to the people passing by, and a few of the shopkeepers in a wizard joke shop similar to Gamble and Japes were demonstrating a new line of wizarding jokes on passersby in hopes of successful advertisement. The buildings ranged from astonishingly tall, to very short yet everything fit together like an orderly puzzle.

A few moments passed before Harry realized his mouth was still open at the sight before him and he promptly shut it, listening to the soft musical tones of Gabrielle's laugh. Harry didn't know where to look. Everything was so full of life and excitement that he could have gotten whiplash from turning his head so much. Instead, he looked toward the source of the giggle to his side, eyes still wide with astonishment.

"Gabrielle!" Harry exclaimed. He stammered for a moment before Gabrielle let out a genuine belly laugh at the sight of his struggle and replied before he could speak.

"It would have been worth it to have the press here to record your face!" She laughed again. The mention of the press made Harry instinctively check his surroundings just in case, but the distraction didn't last long. He turned back to the happy face of Gabrielle who promptly grabbed his hand and led him down the street.

She didn't say much of anything during their walk as they dodged people, things, and sometimes animals as they tried to find an end to the shops that seemed to be nowhere in sight. She merely let Harry experience the entirety of Wizarding Paris without her interruptions, gazing back to him to check his reactions as they went. Her smile hardly faded from her face as they walked hand in hand, nor did it falter. Harry was sure the same blissful look covered his features too as they weaved through the crowd.

A few times, what appeared to be giant golden balloons would float over in their direction to which Gabrielle took out her wand and cast a silent Flipendo to make it explode. Golden sparks erupted and showered them with confetti, which disappeared as the scraps hit the ground. Harry tried his hand at one of the balloon objects that floated near, and the same incredible explosion happened, this time with light blue and white. Harry tried blowing the glittering paper into Gabrielle's face who laughed and ran ahead of him to escape. Curious, Harry asked what the confetti balloons were for since another seemed to appear in the air from the chimney of a nearby shop when one was obliterated.

"Oh, they're coming from the shop up there called, Le parti." Harry laughed a bit at the simple name that gave such dazzlingly beautiful displays of magic. "I know, really original. But if you need anything party related or even in the least bit fancy, this is the place to go. Everything from that ball we went to a few weeks back came from this shop. The balloons are really just for advertisement as well as for the new Beaxbatons students who just received their wands to have a bit of fun before they are completely restricted at home or at school."

Indeed, Harry did see children and adults of various ages practicing on the balloons as they walked about. Quite suddenly, Gabrielle took a hard left and led Harry down an alleyway that still contained more shops. He couldn't count the number of strange items for sale within the windows. It seemed that these particular alleyways contained shops all the way down the end, leaving no bare walls as an eyesore, but instead looped around and even zigzagged through various parts of this seemingly little town. And yet, Harry had become aware that there were no shops explicitly selling anything Dark Magic related. No turn led them to an area like Knockturn Alley and no shops contained anything dark within their wares. Interesting. Thought Harry.

Their first visit was to a medium sized shop that served ice cream, very similar to Florean Fortescue's place in Diagon Alley. The ice cream could be stacked up to 20 scoops high, and the flavors were actually trademarked by Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, so the flavours were endless. Harry settled with a safe chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks while Gabrielle decided to try something new and ordered an equally safe white chip macadamia nut ice cream. They were waiting for their frozen treats when Gabrielle giggled again at the bewildered look on Harry's face at some of the flavors.

"How many people actually order sardine flavored ice cream?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"You'd be surprised, dear." The lady behind the counter said as she handed him his cone.

"I dare you to try it!" Gabrielle said to Harry, who turned his astonished look onto her before his expression turned into one of determination and mischief.

"Alright, I'll try it. But only if you also try the…raw horse meat flavor."

"Jake, that's not even fair those flavors are not equal in any way!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Raw horse meat is WAY worse than sardines!"

"Actually, my dear," piped up the lady behind the counter. "This ice cream takes after the Swedish, Surstromming: the foulest smelling sardine in the world. While some people do enjoy this taste with a piece of bread, others are unable to even smell this particular sardine."

"And what makes it so foul?" Gabrielle asked, looking down at the ice cream in curiosity.

"The fish is fermented for about 6 months in just enough salt to keep it from rotting." The lady answered with a sweet smile.

Harry turned to Gabrielle in horror but knew that they would at least be equally matched in the rancid flavours. He held out his hand in agreement to the dare, which she hesitantly took. They both received a sample of their respective ice cream choices and went outside.

With one hand full of their unmelting cones and the other with their small plastic spoonful of "dare" ice cream and some napkins, they sat on a circular table and chairs and counted down. Gabrielle's face showed determination and a shadow of regret for the future destroying of her taste buds. Harry knew his face betrayed his uncertainty as well, but he was determined to win this dare.

Harry began. "One.."

"Two.."

"Three!" They both said as they shoved their respective spoonfuls into their mouths at the same time.

The taste was so rancid that as soon as the cold ice cream assaulted Harry's tongue, he was immediately gagging and finding that swallowing was immensely difficult. Harry would have been embarrassed by his reaction until he looked over and saw Gabrielle with her hand covering her mouth, gagging just as hard as he was, her face immediately turning a shade of red he had never seen before on a human ever. Oh, how he tried to pretend it didn't bother him and oh, how he failed miserably!

Against Harry's will, he retched into a napkin but managed to keep the frozen custard in his mouth, only to trigger a strangled retch from Gabrielle as well. They were causing quite a scene. Their combined retching was comical enough that Harry was momentarily distracted to realize that Gabrielle was a sympathy gagger. If he retched, she retched. They both managed to swallow their sample of ice cream before bursting out into peals of laughter. Their very audible gags had drawn some attention and only more so when they started laughing and desperately trying to shove their safe ice cream into their mouths as fast as they could.

"We need to get out of here," Gabrielle managed to breathe out in between her laughter and bites full of her macadamia nut ice cream. "Everyone's staring!"

Harry immediately grabbed her hand and off they sped into a different alley, their laughs echoing slightly off the stone walls of the buildings. As they slowed, they enthusiastically began a retelling of what had just occurred, even though it had happened only moments before. Their laughter and excitement seemed contagious to those around them as the people they passed smiled, seeming to share their joy without knowing the true reason to their enthusiasm.

They finished their ice cream as they walked and observed the plethora of different stores and shops around them, stopping briefly to get a drink to make sure all traces of the rancid ice cream were gone.

Gabrielle visited a few wizarding robe shops and bought a stylish new hat and some shoes for herself. Harry brought her into a shabby looking apothecary with the sole purpose of seeing how different it was compared to Bernie's shop. Indeed, it was quite different as they had far fewer ingredients for sale and most of their potion wares seemed to be second hand or not as good quality. It was a wonder why Bernie didn't have a larger shop here in the heart of Wizarding Paris, but it indeed explained why he always had people visiting his shop.

They wandered around, buying various objects and browsing as they went. Harry bought Gabrielle a brilliant set of earrings that had a single stud in a rosy pink color. She immediately put them on and shared a dazzling smile that took Harry's breath away.

At this point, Harry had to wonder if her happiness affected the output of her Veela pull, because every time she smiled or laughed, Harry's heart seemed to skip a beat. Not only that, but the people around them seemed to stop in their tracks to take in her pure and natural beauty as well. It made him wonder, but only fleetingly as he didn't want to ponder too much over the fact that she took his breath away and that there could be another very logical explanation other than that he was beginning to fall in love with her. This revelation quite astonished him as he thought about it as just this morning, Harry had told himself that he knew he wasn't quite there yet. However, in just these few fleeting hours everything had changed.

This prospect honestly scared him a great deal as he had definitely been in love with Ginny before, and it had taken him a long while before he had accepted that she did not want him anymore. The thought, even now was devastating, especially since he had tried to keep those thoughts at bay since his supposed disappearance.

Still, these moments with Gabrielle were astonishing, pure, and everything he had ever dreamed of. And by the looks of it, she was beginning to feel the same way. Although he could not be sure, her furtive glances in his direction were encouraging to say the least. But of course, he didn't want to look too far into it, lest he misinterpret it and make a fool of himself.

The hour was growing late, so they decided to grab supper at one of the restaurants. This one was a deal less shabby than the Leaky Cauldron, and there were no rooms for rent as the motel was separate, but the food was just as delicious. They ate and chatted and laughed about everything that had transpired that day and even reminisced about their first official date together. Everything seemed absolutely perfect.

And in the blink of an eye, it was dark. The nightlife in Wizarding Paris was just as exciting and beautiful. The playing animals from the menageries were let out to fly and hunt, most of the shops were closed, but there were still lights stringing every nook and cranny which illuminated the walkway. There were just as many people now as there had been before, and the people who were there all brought their own entertainment since most of the shops were closed.

Street performers were spread out on the walkway, only staying on the main road and never into an alley. Little standees of private shops were beginning to pop up selling various items ranging from jewelry to spell books.

"There are stringent rules about what and who can sell on the streets at night," Gabrielle explained. "Soon you'll see vendors selling drinks such as butterbeer and snack foods. Some people will even have music and depending on the night, there could be some pretty amazing outdoor dances."

Harry glanced her way as she explained what was custom and answered, "I really hope tonight is one of those nights."

Luck seemed to be on their side as not long after, music began and people started dancing in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor directly in the middle of the walkway about three-fourths of the way down from their original three-pointed archway entrance.

The music was fast and jarring, and they merely watched at first as people began to filter in from behind them. Once there was a sufficient number of people, they decided to join in the fun. Harry didn't know how long they danced before the music slowed. Harry took a step back and asked for Gabrielle's hand which she immediately obliged.

Gabrielle gently placed her left hand on his right shoulder while Harry's right hand landed softly on her waist. Harry paused for a fraction of a second, taking in her dark blue eyes before they started to dance.

"Jake, I cannot tell you how wonderful of a day this has been." Gabrielle began. "Even despite that wanker from earlier this morning, this has truly been the most amazing date I have ever been on." She let out a hearty laugh before continuing. "Honestly, I thought I was sick of this place but coming here with you, it's like I get to experience it new all over again."

"Well then, I certainly hope our first date as boyfriend and girlfriend have met your expectations?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Gabrielle smiled, her face turning a slight shade of pink. "I'd give you an O if this were your OWLs."

"Whew!" Harry breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. "I didn't think a Goblin like me could pass my O.W.L.s! Onward to my N.E.W.T.s! I heard those are much more difficult to pass."

Gabrielle's laugh filled the air once again, and Harry joined her this time. She had leaned in slightly, and Harry's heart leaped. She was staring at his lips. Harry glanced down to hers as well, and they were parted slightly, her breath was cool and nearly brushing against his face.

This is it! Harry thought, knowing his moment to kiss her had finally come. They were still dancing, when Harry began to lean in. Their dancing faltered gradually till they eventually came to a complete stop. They stared into each other's eyes, coming closer and closer together, Harry's heart pounding in his chest so frantically that he was surprised she couldn't hear or even feel the desperate thuds.

Harry leaned in a bit more, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do when suddenly, the music changed to a fast rock and roll, and the people around them began dancing like madmen again. Harry didn't want to drop his gaze from hers, and she stared into his eyes with the same longing. He eventually broke his gaze when a fellow partygoer bumped into him on accident, forcing their eyes apart. His shoulder had bumped into Gabrielle quite forcefully, and he tried to keep her stabilized as they found their footing again, never fully letting go of each other.

They both let out a breathy chuckle at the horrible timing of the interruptions. But the moment had passed, and Harry was kicking himself mentally for not taking the chance when he had it. He was hoping he would have another chance again, but the DJ seemed determined to only play boisterous songs from that point onward.

The one thought that kept creeping into Harry's mind was that Gabrielle seemed to want to kiss him as well. And if the fleeting glances that she gave him every now and then as they danced were anything to go by, she was falling for him in the same way he was for her.

They danced and danced, Gabrielle's silvery blonde hair lay smooth on her head, no matter how many times she spun around or jumped in place, and no matter how many times Harry's clumsy arms nearly chopped her head off in an attempt to perform some elaborate dance move that only embarrassed himself. Still, he would recreate every silly step again if it meant he could see Gabrielle's joy and laughter again and again.

Eventually, the hour grew late and they both decided it was time to retire to their respective homes. They headed through the arch and disapparated to the edge of Apollo Gardens.

~oOo~

The very tail end of the familiar POP of apparation was leaving the air as they gathered themselves after they had landed. The garden was calm and quiet, save for the night workers that were being followed by their gentle orbs of magical light.

The couple didn't move right away but instead took in a few deep breaths before Harry entwined his fingers with Gabrielle's. She looked up at Harry and locked eyes for a moment before she slowly clasped onto his hand and they began their walk back to the Manor.

They didn't talk much as they walked for fear of being overheard by the night staff. Not that they had anything to hide, but they had talked so much that day that it seemed nearly redundant to talk about anything else in the presence of such a calm atmosphere. The crisp night air brought a fresh feeling across Harry's skin, and he idly wondered if Gabrielle felt the same. He chanced a look in her direction and saw that her hair seemed to nearly glow in the presence of the moon and the light it gave off. Again, for the millionth time that day, Harry's heart seemed to skip a much-needed beat within his chest. His eyes moved from her hair and face to look between them at the sight of their hands entwined together. He grinned secretively as he took in the sight of them walking hand in hand together. They were nearly to the front of the Manor when Gabrielle spoke.

"I can't thank you enough for today, Jake." She said, glancing to her side to look at him briefly. "Today was truly remarkable."

"I can't agree more," Harry replied. "This day has been quite extraordinary. Thank you for showing me Wizarding Paris. I really didn't realize how much I was missing out on." And how much I've honestly been living like a muggle as much as I could up until this point without even realizing it. Harry thought.

"The pleasure is all mine," Gabrielle said, turning around as she began ascending the steps backwards. "Every moment was worth seeing your reactions."

"Well, I'm immensely pleased that you enjoyed yourself." A moment of silence followed Harry's comment. They were still holding hands, and as Harry climbed the last step, his eyes locked back onto Gabrielle's with the ease of someone looking upon a marvelous sunset.

The corners of her mouth were pulled up into a gentle, almost playful smile. She took a tentative step closer to him, as she gently bit her bottom lip. This did not go unnoticed by Harry, but he refused to look down to her lips just yet. He wanted to memorize every facet of her beautiful eyes first. Her eyes that seemed to dance with emotion with every breath, that seemed to crash over him like a tidal wave of blue with gentle flecks of green and brown. Her eyes were truly remarkable in the sense that he could see the kind of person she was, just by staring into them. Her very personality and being was shown through her eyes alone, and he wanted to learn every part of her being through her eyes if he could. Kindness, tenderness, love, patience, understanding: all these things he could see in her eyes.

It took a moment before Harry realized how truly lost he was in her eyes alone. He closed his slightly parted mouth and blinked a few times slowly to regain himself, looking away for a fraction of a second.

Gabrielle seemed to sense his inner thoughts because her face mirrored his own. She had been looking directly into his eyes as well, after all.

"Jake," Gabrielle whispered, barely audible. He knew his whispered name wasn't a question or anything to be answered verbally. Instead, ever so gently, Harry raised his free hand and placed it onto her arm. She, in turn, grasped onto his elbow and stepped even closer than she was before. Harry's heart beat frantically in his chest again as he realized the proximity to where they were standing in relation to each other.

After adjusting himself to fully face her, he removed his hand from her arm and stroked her cheek as softly as he could manage. Gabrielle's eyes closed at the faint touch, almost leaning into his caress. His fingers grazed her cheek ever so gently until they reached her chin, to which he tilted upwards. Her eyes fluttered open expectantly.

"There's something I've meant to do for a while now," Harry breathed, never leaving her gaze. "But I'm wondering if this something will be well received."

"You won't know until you try, now won't you?"

At Gabrielle's words, they leaned in even more until the sides of their noses touched, leaving their lips barely a breath away.

In all of an instant, their lips met as they both moved to close the gap between them.

Their lips gently brushed against one another in a way that sent the butterflies in Harry's stomach into a roar of tumultuous pleasure. That single brush was enough to stop his breath in its tracks and render breathing an impossible task.

They broke apart for a second, the air that had been stuck in Harry's lungs seeming to make its presence known as he huffed out his elated breath.

Harry's eyes slowly closed again as their lips met for a second time. His hand and fingers entangled through her hair and cupped the side of her face as gently as he could as his lips found solace against her own. He could briefly recall the moment when her hand left his and grasped on to the front of his jumper while her other hand slid down to rest on his side.

Harry desperately wanted to pull her flush against him but resisted. Their mouths moved together harmoniously, opening a bit wider with every reclamation of their kiss. Their tongues ever so slightly brushed together in the heat of their kiss that sent shivers down Harry's spine. It had been so long since he kissed someone with this much passion and tenderness that he almost had to keep himself from moaning. Harry could feel Gabrielle smile through the kiss, and they gently broke apart.

She kept her face close to Harry's, and they stood together in silence, their foreheads pressed together in an intimate display of affection.

After a few moments of attempting to reign in their ragged breathing, Gabrielle opened her eyes and averted her gaze upward to Harry's. "I hope to see you again soon?" She questioned him without moving away and holding on to him with a bit more force.

Harry secured his grip around her waist and kissed her forehead. Gabrielle closed her eyes at the touch of his lips against her and leaned her head into the curvature of his neck when he withdrew. Harry rested his chin on the top of her head and replied, "The feeling is mutual."

Harry pulled away after a brief silence and kissed her again, lingering only for a moment. "Goodnight, Gabrielle." He nearly whispered as he began walking away past the barrier of the Gardens.

"Goodnight, Jake." Gabrielle moved a lock of hair behind her ear and took a step back. Her hand gripped the door handle before turning around to see Harry's retreating figure.

Harry knew that if he turned to look at her, he would have a hard time convincing himself to keep going. Therefore, he kept walking without turning around to look at her. He bit his lower lip as he walked, trying to keep his fluttering stomach at bay and resisting the urge to dance on the spot in shear happiness. Past the apparation point, he vanished with a loud POP.