Thanks for the reviews- I live for comments and suggestions! I tend to write faster when I've had some reviews and few readers take the time to let me know what they think, so please do!

As promised, Fleur- French, funny, and fabulous- and some sisterly bonding, Phlegm-style. Ginny really needs a big sister right now!

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29

Fleur

"So, you weel be able to take 'er to ze school, no?"

"I moughta guessed yeh'd be askin' for me help again, but after whot Potter done, I didn' think you'd go after old Dungie again,"

"I do not cair what 'Arry has said to you, you owe zis family for what you did when Mad-Eye died. George lost 'is ear, you know."

"S'not my bleedin' fault, Miz Flour! I didn't never say I wanted to be in it, an Mad-Eye just up and volunteered me, and that was Bleedin' You-Know-Oo comin' at me, and I just scrambled! I didn' do whot any sane wizard wouldn'! An anyways, I don' gotta help none of yous now, Frenchie- i's ev'ry man for hiself now, an I'll be lookin' out for ole Dungie since nobody else is gonna-"

"Oh, I think you'll be doing exactly as she's asking, Dung. Do it or we're cancelling all our business, and once this shit is over, you'll be in Azkaban for what we've got on you for three lifetimes worth of looking out for Old Dungie," Fred growled low, and Fleur felt the delicate blonde hairs on her arm stand on end. Dung was standing, his hangdog eyelids no longer drooping, smelling of malt-whiskey and smoke and three-day old sweat, and he was scratching his head.

"Well now, no reason to get all tetchy about it, George- s'not like our business cuts into yer family," Dung started saying, but Fred was having none of it. Without warning he'd seized Dung's collar and pressed him up against the wall, his face leering close like a keening death call.

"You'll be helping Gin back into school if she wants it, and you know you're the only one who can do it. Consider it a business partnership. You keep us from skinning your filthy thieving hide, and we give you some money for your pains," he rumbled, and Dung shifted his eyes side to side. Fred did not correct his blunder.

Fleur almost wanted to grin; Dung was so like her cousin Marte, the one her father pretended was an apothecary instead of a drug pusher.

"Right, well, I'll be back a' Monday, and we'll see then if I can afford to take 'er," Dung was stammering, and then he fled and Fred sunk into his chair, sighing.

"Think I scared him off?"

"No. He weel be back, he needs ze gold. I do not theenk Dung has many ozair customers," Fleur smiled. Patting Fred on the shoulder, she hurried into the guest room that had only recently been emptied of Ronald's things and was presently filled with Ginny and Bill, who looked up, exhausted, and accepted the cup of tea she proffered gratefully.

"She iz better, no?" Fleur whispered. Bill nodded, wiping sweat off his brow. He'd ceased breaking the nasty curse on her arm ten minutes ago, and Ginny's color was returning. The black rose had faded to grey the moment he'd finished, but Fleur knew, looking at the snake's head, that these scars would not fade. She shuddered, thinking of her own arms covered in such filth, and resolved to speak to Ginny about some concealment charms. The girl would not want to be reminded of her ordeal every morning while choosing her outfit.

Fleur examined the single petal that was lying near the snake's jaws. "What would it 'ave done to 'er, cherie?" she asked quietly. Bill grimaced painfully.

"It's the Rip Van Winkle curse. Caster is given an extra few years' youth by feeding on a younger victim. Ginny aged a whole year, technically, overnight. The rose is youth, and each petal is a year-once each petal has fallen, the snake bites. She would have aged a decade in a week's time. It speeds up the longer it takes hold. The snake bite would have cremated her, alive," Bill shuddered, and Fleur had already cried out and wrapped her arms around her husband.

" Ow 'orrible," she whispered, and the two were silent, trying not to ponder the could-have-beens. It had taken over six hours to break the complex curse that Bill had never even seen before, though Kingsley had recognized it in an instant with a sick look on his usually stoic face.

"What else 'ave you healed?" Fleur asked, pulling back the covers and scourgifying her sister-in-law once more. "I didn't think there would be more," Bill replied worriedly, and the two took an hour to slowly seal up cuts, rub burn cream into blistered skin, and fix the broken bones in her leg that had been reset improperly. Ginny's body was covered in six days worth of sweat, grime, and caked blood, and her fingernails were stuffed with scab-pickings and dirt. Bill pulled out a pocket-knife and slowly filed and cleaned her nails, buffing them as Fleur chuckled, washing Ginny's feet and legs. The wash rag went slowly higher, and Fleur pulled up her dress, knowing Ginny would be happier if she were clean, and came close to screaming.

Tiny rows of claw marks, oozing yellow pus, covered her thighs. Bill was shaking with anger, his eyes fixed on the offending marks, and Fleur unbuttoned Ginny's robe and threw the disgusting garment away, revealing her underwear and bra, which were thankfully intact. Three more tiny claw marks ran across her belly, bare scratches but obviously cursed, and a single line ran up between her breasts, as though her bra had been snapped by powerful claws.

"Beel, get my robe and 'airbrush, and ze lotion. I need my theengs. Get some air, we weel ask 'er later," Fleur said gently, drops sliding down her cheeks. Bill was shaking violently as he cried silent tears and he could not even nod in reply. Fleur sat down and looked at the yellow lines that striped down Ginny's left thigh. Four. There were four on her left. There were two more on her right. These were tiny nicks, and would likely heal completely within a few more days. The others would reopen, like Bill's did under stress.

She would never be healed physically, at least not forever. Fleur didn't want to contemplate the emotional healing about to begin.

Bill shuffled in and dumped the soft blue silk robe, new underwear, and some of Ginny's favorite socks onto the bed. He returned twice more, hugging Fleur close each time as though trying to suck out the comfort she offered, bringing the soft-bristled hairbrush he'd bought her as a wedding present, a magical razor, an assortment of soaps and lotions, and finally, with a bit of a watery grin, Fleur's nail polishes. The light turquoise pot glimmered in the low light from the window, and Fleur wound her arms around her husband and rested her head on his shoulder.

"She will be fine, love. She is strong, 'our seester. Ginny will heal," she said softly, and Bill nodded and left, closing the door with a soft tap.

Fleur turned to the girl lying on her favorite ocean-blue sheets, who was rosy now but still terribly thin. The bruises were gone. She picked up a bar of soap and set to washing the rest of Ginny's body, taking care to clean the new cuts they'd discovered. A vial of specially formulated dittany later, they were sealed, but still leaked occasionally. Fleur wrapped the cleaned wounds with gauze and spelled it to hold fast. She levitated Ginny with wandless magic, a feat she was sure would have impressed her husband, had he been here. Spelling the underwear to switch places with the dirty ones, she removed Ginny's bra and gently cleaned the tender flesh, which was thankfully clear of the horrible wounds. The magic razor zipped over her legs carefully, avoiding the cuts with delicate, precise strokes. "I always theenk zat 'aving nice, smooth legs iz ze best feeling," she offered to her sleeping sister.

The robe she tied at the waist of her charge, adjusting blankets over her legs and hips, and then she rubbed lotion into Ginny's arms, concentrating on moving the muscles that were sure to ache once she woke. Bit by bit, the room filled with the clean scent of fresh coconut, and Fleur massaged her back muscles, flipping Ginny over gently, and then her calves and lower thighs. She filed down toenails, adding a deep ruby red laquer to the smooth, tiny digits, and studied her new sister's face, worn and tired looking even in slumber.

"You 'ave been vairy brave, Geeny," Fleur said softly, knowing she could not hear her. "I do not know what 'appened yet, but I know zat you will find a way to fix your heart and feel safe once more, someday. I 'ope I can help you. I know 'ow it feels to have someone control you. You and I are not ze women who can take zis treatment," she continued, pouring water into a deep bowl. "We are not meant to be caged by a man."

Slowly, she filled bowl after bowl with fresh water, shampooing the tangled, dingy red hair until it shone, thick and strong. Pulling out her shears, she trimmed away the ends, getting rid of singed, damaged bits. Fleur ran the brush through the hair again and again, gently untangled the gnarls as she spoke, telling Ginny of her own encounter.

"I was eighteen. I had just met your brozzer, actually," she recalled, remembering their first date with relish. "I was in ze vault, leading a customer to zair second holding, and ze man was acting very strangely. I know I am beautiful. I knew it zen. I just did not theenk it would be dangerous," she said, setting aside the brush and drawing her wand gently over the locks, drying them bit by bit.

"He was touching me, pulling at my 'air, trying to kiss me," Fleur admitted softly. "I told him I did not weesh to kiss him, but 'e laughed and pressed me against ze stones, saying 'e would pay me, and I screamed, but we were in ze lower vaults; zere iz no one to hear. Beel came down to bring ze account statement for ze man, who was trying to get my robe off, and we were fighting. I did not have my wand. Beel sent 'im into ze stone, three feet deep. Ze goblins made ze idiot empty 'is account and leave, but not before I got half 'is gold," she smiled, grimacing, but Ginny did not comment as she slept on. "I was so scaird zat Beel would not want to kiss me, now zat zis man had touched me, but he told me I was better zan any of ze diamonds or treasures in ze world. You do not tarnish like ze silver, or get lost like ze gems; you shine like ze gold, 'e told me, and he held me to 'im. Your brozzer is a vairy special man, Geeny, and you are a special woman. You are stronger zan you theenk, and your heart cannot be touched by ze evil in zis world. You weel be hurt, yes, Cherie, but you cannot be stopped."

Finished with her story, she pulled out the pale turquoise nail polish and gently grasped Ginny's hand, adding her last touches. Ginny looked healthier, her skin clean and soft, her hair curling on the pillow in fiery waves. Fleur turned to get the tray Bill had promised to cook for his sister, deciding it was time to get some nourishment in her, conscious or not. And perhaps a pain potion, what was sure to be the first of many.

"Thank you, Fleur," came the soft whisper from beside her. Ginny's eyes were open, bleary but focused, and Fleur closed her mouth and clasped her hands warmly. "I am glad we had zis talk, my seester," she said gently. "Would you like to eat?"

Ginny nodded fervently, seeming to awaken, and Fleur hurried into the kitchen, where Fred was arguing with Bill about Ginny's favorite dessert.

"I'm telling you, it's treacle tart, she used to inhale it after matches," Fred was insisting, while Bill spooned cream on top of the most ravishing confection Fleur had ever seen him whip up. Few knew that in his years as pseudo babysitter, tutor, and older-brother-extraordinaire, Bill had acquired the ability to cook gourmet-standard comfort food, courtesy of his mother's talented teaching- a skill that had only been improved by his experiences with foreign dishes abroad. A side of Thai noodles stir-fried with vegetables was paired with chunks of Ginny's favorite fruit, pineapple, and some hunks of mouth-watering beef. Cold, frothy milk ran down the edge of a glass, and by all this, Bill was scooping his homemade buttermilk-strawberry ice cream onto a hot scone, scattering cubed strawberries around the sugary heaven. Fred was whipping cream and powdered sugar together with cherry schnapps for the topping, while debating the likelihood that Ginny's stomach would reject the heavy beef. The two stopped when Fleur came closer, standing at attention.

"How is she? Is she awake yet?" Bill asked swiftly. "She iz resting, and I 'ave washed her 'air and cut it a bit. I painted 'er nails and such, she will feel better when she feels lovely," Fleur offered. "She iz ready for 'er supper, and I theenk the beef will be fine," she said.

Fred sat down in the chair, putting his hands over his eyes. "Is it true? Did G-Greyback rape her?"

Fleur sat down and rubbed his back gently.

"I do not know what 'as 'appened to her yet, but I weel ask 'er, once I theenk she is ready. We must be patient. She has been through much, even eef Greyback only cut her," Fleur advised. Bill nodded sagely and pulled them both into a hug. "You should update Mum before she beats Dad up and gets in here, wards or not," he told Fred, who finished the whipped topping, licking the spoon, and left to tell the others that Ginny was awake and eating. The three finished making the plate and Fleur carried the tray out to the guest room, humming as she went.

"Do you have enough blankets and pillows?" she asked as she came in. Ginny was sitting up, looking at her hair in the hand mirror that Fleur had wisely left on the bed.

"I take it you cut my hair? If it were Bill I'd have a pixie cut, and if it were one of the twins, I'd be bald," she joked half-heartedly, and Fleur nodded and smoothed it down with her hand. "Yes, I thought you might like a trim," she answered. Ginny thanked her and tucked into her dinner avidly.

"So you heard everyzing I was saying, earlier?" she asked, and Ginny nodded. "I just felt sick still, and it was nice to lie there," she offered.

Fleur smiled. "Yes, it iz always good to have your bruzzer brush my hair. He iz very good at it, no? I assumed you were ze one who taught him 'ow to do zis for girls," and Ginny grinned. "Bill's the best at that. Charlie goes too fast and Percy talked too much. The twins would sooner turn it green or put gum in it. And Ron was just- well- Ron," she said quietly.

"You are vairy lucky to have such wonderful brozzers, and we are very lucky you are safe again, and alive," Fleur said softly, and Ginny looked down at her plate and dug into the dessert.

"This is amazing," she moaned happily, and Fleur stole a bit with the lonely spoon.

"Do you want some pain potion? I 'ave zis as well as some pepper up and your muzzer sent some sleeping potions for later, so zat you weel have no dreams," Fleur suggested. Ginny pursed her lips, frowning.

"I don't want to get addicted to that sleeping stuff again. I did after . . . after first year, for awhile. I reckon Bill told you?"

"Yes, but only zis week. Everyone else knew zat ze Chief Death Eater would be interested in you for zis, if he knew, and your muzzer was mad with her worry. Zey feared you would be killed, even without ze ransom," Fleur explained, and Ginny's mouth dropped.

"There was a ransom?" She asked, nonplussed.

"It was not money. It was 'Arry," Fleur said quietly. "'E does not know you were taken. Zere was no way he would have heard, ze Death Eaters only contacted your family. None of us told 'im, zo I do not know how ze patronus might have reached him, if he has ze right wards up to hide zem. Your mozzer was frantic. She wanted 'Arry to come and help, but your bruzzers did not let 'er. Bill and Charlie told 'er zat you would not want 'Arry to put himself in danger, and zey started planning a break-in to get you out. Zen while zey were gazzering here, you apparated in. It was vairy scary for zem. Beel saw you and thought zat your body had been portkeyed in; it iz a new tactic zey have been doing," Fleur explained.

"Bill was the one who found me? I thought it was Dad," Ginny mused.

"Zey have ze same kind, blue eyes. Ron has zem as well."

"So Harry doesn't know? He's safe?" Ginny asked urgently. Fleur smiled kindly.

"No. 'e is safe, somewhere. Eef he knew, 'e would already be here, asking Beel what ze plan was." Ginny was quiet, and Fleur took another spoonful of the massive melting shortcake.

"They were right. I don't want him to give himself up just for me. I'd die if he did," Ginny admitted, playing with her fork in the cream. Puffs of pink foam dipped and swirled on the tip. "Where is Mum? I kind of expected her to suffocate me with hugs once I woke up," she added, not noting the thought they both acknowledged in the air: if she woke up.

"Molly iz at Muriel's. She was vairy upset and Beel could not work on breaking ze curse while she was crying, so your fazzer took her back with Charlie and George. Fred stayed to stand guard, even zo we have a Fidelius, in case zere was a tracking spell on you. Zere is not, do not fear. You are very safe here," she said, seeing Ginny's fearful glance.

"So that curse thing is gone?" Ginny asked, looking at the crass tattoo on her arm.

"It is not active. Beel got rid of ze magic, but ze picture . . . I am sorry, but it weel not come off. I can show you 'ow to hide it for weeks at a time wif my Maman's charms," Fleur apologized. Ginny's eyes filled with momentary tears that disappeared as she yanked down the sleeve of the robe.

The room was quiet, and Fleur let her mind rove thoughtlessly, subtly ignoring the sniffle that sounded.

"Why is there a petal off the rose?" Ginny asked.

Fleur sighed and explained the curse, leaving out the way the snake killed. Ginny could assume it was a poison that sent the victim into a painless slumber. Voldemort had already stolen her childhood; he would not steal her imagination.

Ginny was quiet for some time, contemplating her almost-fate, and Fleur gracefully prepared the pain potion and offered her the pepper-up. She broke the silence to breach their most serious subject.

"Geeny, I need to ask you somezing. I know zis will be painful, but I need to know ze truth, so we can heal you. Can you tell me 'ow you got ze cuts on your belly and your legs?"

Instantly she feared the worst as Ginny seemed to pull back under the covers, trembling, and the tears finally came. Sobs wracked her petite frame, and Fleur crawled onto the bed in a flash and cradled her, rocking her back and forth and humming her Maman's lullaby. Fifteen minutes of crying later, Fleur relaxed her arms, relieved; Ginny had told between gasped breaths a tale that chilled Fleur's heart, but did not break it. She had fought Greyback well, and Fleur felt pride and love for her sister overflow.

"I told you zat you were vairy brave," she said, and Ginny smiled weakly but shook her head. "I don't feel it much right now," she said. Fleur scoffed and asked her to repeat again how she had escaped.

"If zis iz not courage, facing zat snake and yelling for 'im to let you fight 'is Death Eaters, I do not know what iz," she said fiercely, and Ginny scooted back, smoothing the covers.

"Your 'Arry is very brave too, no?" Fleur inquired.

"Yes. Harry is brave. Too brave. But I don't think I can call him mine," came the forlorn reply.

Fleur straightened her shoulders. "Zat boy did not take 'is eyes off you ze entire wedding, and ze fact zat I noticed zis at my own reception is proof enough for me," she said righteously. Ginny giggled once, and it was phoenix song to Fleur.

"I do not theenk zat he weel die for his courage, Geeny. I theenk he is meant to come home to you. 'E has not finished 'is days, there is much for him to do," she cautioned wisely. "I know zis war makes it seem crazy, cherie, but 'Arry is strong like you. 'E will come home, and 'e will be wanting you back in 'is life, when it is safe to love you again." Ginny seemed to mull her words over, and Fleur could have cried at the guarded, wishful look on her face. She wanted to believe it so badly, but it was clear the prospect of being wrong would kill her.

"You should get some rest. Tomorrow we weel talk about how to get you back to 'Ogwarts, if you weesh to return. Beel said you might want to keep fighting zere, and now zat ze room iz connected to ze Hog's Head, it should not be tough. If you want to stay 'ere, you are more zan welcome to live with us," she reminded gently, but Ginny looked up and met her eyes. Already they were resolute.

"They'll need me at school. I'm their Harry while he's gone," she admitted, chuckling half-heartedly. Fleur held her shoulder warmly.

"Yes, zey look up to you for courage," she said, and she hugged her sister.

"I weel send Beel in, if it is alright. He iz most worried about you."

"Fleur?"

"Yes?"

"Can you keep Mum out for a bit longer? She's not going to like me going back to Hogwarts, even if I'm staying in the Room."

"I cannot promise to outduel your mozzer, but I can try," she winked. Ginny chuckled.

Fleur turned to leave. When her hand was on the door, Ginny's voice stopped her.

"Fleur?"

"Yes?"

A pause, silent and provoking.

"Did you know I called you Phlegm?"

Fleur looked at her through sky blue eyes.

"Yes, but eet does not matter. You call me Fleur now, and I call you Geeny, and we can both call your bruzzers whatever we like, for zey cannot beat us both," she joked, and Ginny's laughter bubbled out as Bill opened the door.