Chapter 26
The next day we were bundled in coats and scarves to head outside to apparate to the Borrow. Elise had borrowed a coat, scarf and gloves from me and I could see Rose itching to pull them off her. I prayed to any god that would listen that Rose would be distracted at the Burrow, I couldn't stand to see her drag Elise around introducing her to people. She would become overwhelmed and find it very difficult to understand everyone. As soon as Elise and I were ready I begged daddy to take us. He looked shocked because I usually didn't like going to the Burrow because it meant large crowds of Weasleys making fun of me. Despite his shock he agreed and apparited us before Rose had a chance to complain. When we arrived I drew Elise away from the house and the crowds so I could explain what was going on. Rose had talked about Weasley Christmas last night but I didn't think Elise understood the sheer volume of Weasleys she was about to encounter.
"Elise, I am so sorry about Rose talking all the time, I hope you don't mind. I just want to warn you about the amount of Weasleys you are about to meet. You will like Fleur and Gabby for they are very similar to you however some of the others can be overwhelming so we can just go outside anytime you are feeling overwhelmed. Don't worry, I'll be with you." I said in French smiling at my friend.
"Aw Lily, I didn't mind Rose at all, she was very friendly, even if I only understood a fifth of what she was saying. I'm looking forward to meeting your family but I'll let you know if I need a break." She replied before taking a deep breath and switching to English. "Let us done this!"
I giggled at her wrong tense, "Yeah, let's do this!" Arm in arm we approached the house and I watched as a grin spread over Elise's face at the ridiculousness of the Burrow. It had the appearance and design of being held up magically and hobbled together. The Weasleys were no longer poor like in the old days but Grandma Weasley didn't have the heart to rebuild the Burrow. It was where her memories of Fred were and she would never leave them. I noticed the mass of tables being erected at the back of the house by Uncle Percy and Uncle Charlie. One table was groaning under the weight of 30 or so glasses, cutlery, and placemats waiting to be set once the tables were all erected. They looked busy so I looked around for a good first introduction. Ah ha!
"Teddy, I've missed you! How are you? This is my friend Elise. Elise meet Teddy, he's daddy's godson." I said forcing myself to speak slowly and clearly. Elise smiled at Teddy, who grinned in return then turned him attention back to me.
"Don't tell me you've got Metamorphmagus genetics in you too. I remember you being ginger... well strawberry blonde. What happened pixie?" Teddy exclaimed pulling on the end of my hair. I giggle, he meant well, most people in our family meant well but after a while those comments build up so a feeling of being ostracised. I was about to explain about the sun when I heard a shrill voice calling Teddy. Ugh Victorie! She was ok as a cousin but very vain and had become very possessive of Teddy. They had been going out 4 or 5 years and everyone had been delighted when Teddy proposed last year. I think he only proposed so she'd stop dropping hits. A year later and still no date was set, not a good sign in my books.
"Joyeux Noël, Victorie. Je voudrais que vous pour répondre à mon ami Elise." I introduced when Victoire stopped by Teddy and wrapped herself around him. We got a vague Bonjour as she smiled and tugged Teddy away.
Not long later we were called for dinner. I had introduced Elise to a few family members but the Delacours were not here yet. As we sat down I heard the gate and a flow of chatter in mixed French and English. It was music to my ears. We had deliberately sat beside the empty seat so we could chat with the Delacours when they arrived.
"Join us, join us," Grandma Weasley exclaimed hurrying everyone to the table. Mrs Apolline Delacour sat with her husband in the empty seats beside Elise, while Gabby and her husband sat on my side. Fleur and Bill sat opposite us and their kids disappeared down the table somewhere. We were about to begin dinner when Apolline turned to see who she was sitting next too...
"Mon Dieu! Who is this child?" Apolline exclaimed before rising from the table and bolting into the house. Gabby got up to follow her as Mr Delacour reassured everyone she would be fine so Grandma tried to get everyone to start dinner.
"Perhaps we should go see what are wrong?" Elise whispered to me as she looked sadly at the empty seat beside her. I nodded and we rose to head into the house. As if on cue the second we got up, Grandma declared, "Sit down and eat your dinner!" We both sat down automatically and placed our napkins on our knees looking apologetic. Grandma and several other adults just starred at us, as if not believed that we would obey and be respectful. On hind sight it was very rude of us just to get up from the table so I decided to try going about it in the correct fashion.
"Grandpa, may myself and Elise be excused from the table to check on Mrs. Delacour and Gabby? We will be as quick as possible." I enquired as politely as I could, addressing the head of the household.
"Yes, Lily dear you may be excused. You may also be excused Elise. I hope it is nothing to severe troubling Apolline." Grandpa replied indicating to the house. I beamed at my Grandfather and nodded to Grandma as we again rose and left the table.
As we entered the house I could hear Apolline chatting to Gabby in the living room. "I'm fine, really Gabby. Just a shock, c'était une surprise." Apolline was repeating trying to reassure Gabby and possibly trying to reassure herself.
We walked into the living room and I didn't know what to say, I had never seen Mrs Delacour looking less Veela. She looked dishevelled instead of a timeless beauty. Elise was the first to break the silence as she gracefully moved towards the women seated on the sofa by the fire.
"Madame Delacour, whatever I did to offend you, I apologise. Je suis très désolé" Elise apologised.
"My dear, you did nothing wrong, you just look so similar to my sister at that age. I haven't seen her in a long time so is difficult to cope with." Apolline replied tenderly stroking Elise's cheek. "Tell me, mon petit chère, who are you exactly?"
"Je m'appelle Elise Michel, madame." Elise replied shyly sitting on the arm of the sofa beside Apolline.
"Michel is not a Veela name, pray tell who are your parents? Veela circles are fairly well known to those in them." Apolline said confused. I glanced at Elise unsure of how she would react to a question about her parents. She gave me a small smile before answering Apolline.
"I'm an orphan; I do not know who my parents were. I was named Elise Michel because I was left at the baroque fountain in St-Michel's place. When I was 8 or 9 a maid in my orphanage recognised me to have magical powers and sent a letter to Madame de Chagny. That is how I ended up at Beauxbaton. It was Madame de Chagny that explained about my Veela heritage."
"Aw you poor thing, I am so sorry. Although it does make me wonder..." Apolline grew dreamy and was thinking of things from another time.
"May I ask why you don't see your sister?" Elise enquired, intrigued like myself.
"My mother was a full Veela and married a wizard that carried the Veela gene. My sister was also full Veela however the magical gene was more pronounced in me and I was only a half Veela. My mother was not pleased but there was nothing she could do. I went to Beauxbaton Academy like yourselves and that is where I met my husband. When we got married my family disowned me for he had no Veela genetics. It is similar to Pureblood mindset, my mother believed I needed to marry a Veela man to pureify the line again as to have pure Veela children. My sister was married shortly before me to a man with a great bloodline. I married for love not for breeding. Since then I haven't seen any of my family however I hear rumours from the Veela circles. Many years ago I remember hearing that my sixteen year old niece was pregnant. It was being broadcast throughout Veela circles because she had gotten pregnant outside of marriage with a Muggle. That was the lowest a pure Veela could sink. She was ostracised from society and living in Paris. I never heard any further stories regarding her. I try not to think about that side of my family too much, the Weasley's are my real family now thanks to Fleur. I hadn't thought of my family since I heard that rumour until I saw you outside moments ago. Please forgive me for my lack of manners." Apolline explained in her flowing French. I understood the majority of what she said but I could read in Elise's face the understanding and a glimmer of hope in the possibility of being related to the Delacours.
"Perhaps we might all spend time together of this holiday time and get to know one another better?" Gabby suggested speaking for the first time since we had entered the room. There were smiles all round at her suggestion. No-one wanted to admit there could very well be a connection between the Delacours and Elise least things not work out. Best to take things slowly and so we returned outside to the dinner table acting as if we may not have discovered Elise's hidden heritage.
Everyone looked up as we took our seats at the table and I apologised on behalf of everyone. We tucked into the food that was remaining and listened in comfortable silence to the conversation swirling around us. At the end of the table I could hear my parents having a muted argument but as usual my father would soon fold to whatever my mother was saying. I hope their arguing is "just a phase" like the last time.
~ # ~ Flashback 7years ~ # ~
It was about 7:30pm and I was curled up on my daddy's knee. We were reading Snow White before bed. I should have been in bed already, since I was only 4, but every night for the last two weeks I'd been waiting up late with daddy for mummy to come home. I always fell asleep before she got home and she left at 6am before I was up. Tonight was the same as every other night I fell asleep, right after Snow White ate the poisoned apple. However to night was different, I woke shortly later to the sound of raised voices.
"Ginny Potter, your daughter hasn't seen you in two weeks and your sons have seen you for about 10 minutes. And when your home you are grumpy and irritable. Don't we deserve more than that Ginny? I know how much your career means to you, love, but you have reached the top. Please Ginny, we need you! Your children have stopped asking for you and Lily barely knows you! I need you! DAMN IT, GINNY, WE SHOULD BE ENOUGH!"
I could hear the woman, who is my mother, break down and begin to sob. I think for the first time she realised how much her absence had affected us. But as I heard my dad sigh, I knew this fight wasn't near over.
"Ginny, when you're training at home you are away for at least 16hours a day and then disappear for weeks on end when there is matches. You don't even ask us to come to your games anymore! Don't you care about us? Don't you care about me? I would sacrifice anything you asked for the good of this family. I'm begging you Ginny, please give it up. I can't keep wondering whether I've done something wrong or whether there is another man. I know how important your independence is but can't you find a job with less hours, closer to home?"
"Harry..." my mother sobbed, "Please...I'm sorry! It wasn't meant to be like this. I'll change, Harry, really I will! Just don't leave me, don't take the kids from me!" She started to sound really panicky. I didn't understand what was going on. I thought mummy had no choice but to be away for so long but she chose to be away from us. And why would she even think daddy would take us away from her, didn't she understand how much daddy loved us all. Silence reigned down over the house, interrupted with an occasional sniff or sob. I was interested by what was happening so I unfurled myself from the ball of me and blanket. I pulled myself up on that backrest of the armchair and peeked over the top. Daddy was holding mummy to him letting her sob into his chest as he rubbed her back. I wanted to comfort them as well. I climbed down from my seat and ran as fast as a 4 year old can to my parents before tugging on daddy's trouser leg. He gave me a small smile and picked me up to sandwich me between the two of them.
~ # ~ End Flashback ~ # ~
My thoughts of years gone by were interrupted when Uncle Ron elbowed me in the ribs wanting potatoes passed down to him. As I reached for the potatoes I looked up to see daddy caving in and mummy looking triumphant. I hoped things would be ok soon, this family had enough drama to contend with.