Chapter 25: Beauty
Her husband had been beautiful, once.
Truth be told (and that's what she did, she always told the truth, because in France that's just what you do, but in England people always seemed to mistake her for being rude), that was what had first attracted her to him.
But that's not what made her fall in love with him, and she knows that that's why she still loves him now, even though he's not beautiful anymore.
Fleur pauses and her hand stills, brush clenched tight, half way down her hair. She looks in the mirror and scrutinizes her appearance. There are bags under her eyes, now. They've faded slightly in the weeks since the battle, but they haven't completely vanished, yet. She's not sure they ever will. Her face looks paler, more drawn. Fleur looks at the thin line running down from underneath her ear to the top of her neck. It's already very light, almost impossible to see if you don't know it's there.
But she knows it's there. And it bothers her that it is. Almost as much as it bothers her that she has no idea which spell caused it, which foe created it.
Fleur resumes her brushing. It's silly, she knows to worry about her appearance. Especially considering what Bill looks like now. His appearance certainly doesn't bother her. Honestly, she doesn't even notice it, most days. She has more important things to be concerned with. Fleur shakes her head in self-admonishment. She certainly has more important things to worry about than what she looks like. Finally finished, she takes one last glance in the mirror, before she leaves with Bill to help with the rebuilding of Hogwarts. She nods in satisfaction.
She's still good-looking enough for the both of them.
Next: To Tell a Joke