He felt something spark deep inside him, an inferno given life by the warmth of her lips brushing his. His body warred with itself, trying to tense at the surprise while wanting nothing more than to lose himself so easily in the kiss.
It was over far too soon. Fleur pulled back from him, a tentative smile lifting her rosy cheeks. His mouth worked soundlessly as his eyes were drawn down to her lips, which quirked even further up into a grin.
"I am flattered that our shared first kiss is enough to leave you speechless," she said. "Though I am a little sorry for surprising you with it."
"It's fine," Harry managed, forcing the words through his blissful haze.
"Only fine?" she echoed, the mischievous spark alight in her eyes. "Well, give it another try. Perhaps it will grow on you."
Harry saw the tilt of her eyebrow that accompanied her playful glint and felt the twitch of her hand toward the braid hanging over her shoulder. He saw the glow of the firelight dance across her perfect features, reflecting the blaze she had ignited inside his heart and he saw the nervous challenge in her captivating gaze.
It was all forgotten as he crossed the narrowing distance between them, a smile pulling at the corners of his now occupied lips as Fleur let out a small noise of pleasant surprise against him. He felt her relax against him and the vestiges of coherent thought drift away as she repositioned herself closer to him, never quite breaking the kiss.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Time passed altogether too quickly for Harry, and judging by the way Fleur had wrapped her arm around his when she laid her head against his shoulder, she wasn't any more interested in their evening being over than he was.
Her weight settled on him as her breathing slowed and her grip relaxed. Harry stared blankly at the Christmas tree ahead of him, his cheek rested atop Fleur's head. The lights twinkled away, casting reflective bursts across the silver tinsels wrapped around the fir. He registered none of it, his hand idly reaching up to touch his mouth, as though to check it was really his. His eyes darted over to the fireplace, a small disappointed pit pulling his mood down to a more earthly level.
Sirius was waiting for him back at Grimmauld Place. Back in the real world, where it seemed impossible that he could be dating someone as incredible as Fleur. He lifted his head to look around for a clock, his original inspection of the room having been interrupted by Fleur's breathtaking change in normal attire. His movement garnered a muffled groan of protest from Fleur, who didn't move except to tighten her grip on his arm.
"I can't be out too late," Harry said, frowning. "I doubt Sirius would appreciate me breaking such a lenient curfew on my first time out."
Fleur squeezed his hand before letting go and sitting up. She ran a hand behind her ear, securing the strands that had come loose from her braid. She fixed him with a petulant gaze and a pout on lips he could barely look away from.
Her countenance was broken by a large yawn that ended in an annoyed sigh.
"I suppose it is getting rather late," she grumbled. "And it is not as though I will not see you tomorrow." She frowned, a flicker of petulance returning to her tone. "But it will not be as...private as tonight and I doubt my family will give us much time to ourselves." A smile replaced her frown. "They are all quite fond of you after all," she said, shrugging. "Though I cannot blame them."
Harry's answering flush pushed Fleur's smile into a giggle and her mirth pulled easily at the corners of his mouth. Her grin eventually faded and her eyes grew distant as she looked past him and out the snow-covered window.
"I do not want you to leave," she admitted, raising her braid up from her shoulder to look at the ribbon. "It feels as though when you leave it will be as if this night will never have happened. I am, as you said, unbelievably happy to be with you...to be together...and for some reason it feels as though tomorrow we will be going back to the way things were." She let her hair fall back to her shoulder and fixed the fireplace with a melancholy gaze.
"It's been a while since you've voiced my thoughts like that," Harry said quietly, his eyes still fixed decidedly on her.
She turned back to him, her features relaxing as she stared at him for a moment.
"Regardless," she said, shrugging, "the feeling is untrue. I am wholly uninterested in returning to the way things were, so long as you are as well."
Harry could feel the question in her statement, and see it in the tensing of her shoulders.
This time he allowed the words to flow quickly and freely.
"Of course," he said, nodding. "Why on earth would I want to go back?"
His answer earned him another one of the brilliant smiles he had come to long for, and Fleur stood up, again offering him her hand.
"I will help you pack your things."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
The fireplace at Grimmauld Place suddenly flared green and disgorged a reluctant Harry Potter into the living room, his ingredient bag slung over his shoulder and his photograph in hand. He looked over his shoulder, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Fleur's beautiful face, but was met with only the fading green flames. He absently lifted his free hand to his lips, trying to capture the lingering warmth of their...prolonged goodbye kiss.
Sirius rounded the corner from the kitchen with a small plate of seemingly random food in one hand, and an amber drink in the other, causing Harry to jump in surprise.
"I hadn't expected you back just yet," Sirius said with a yawn, glancing over to a large clock hanging on the wall. "I had at least expected you to be gone until after midnight."
"I didn't want to stay out too late my first time out," Harry said, lowering the bag from his shoulder with a sigh, and sitting in his chair in front of the now-normal fire. "Plus she was starting to get tired."
Sirius joined him, setting the drink down on the table between the two chairs, and resting the plate on his lap. "Did you have a good time?" he asked, popping an olive into his mouth.
"Yeah," Harry said, looking down at the photo in his hand. He saw Sirius lean over out of the corner of his eye to see.
"Is that your gift?" Sirius asked.
Harry nodded, hesitating a moment before handing the small frame over to his godfather. Sirius handed it back after a moment's examination.
"It's a nice picture," he ventured.
"It's a place at the ambassador's manor," Harry explained. "It was peaceful. We spent a lot of time there."
Harry lapsed into silence, the events of the evening still careening through his mind without an end in sight. A grin broke through his musings, the feeling of Fleur's goodbye kiss still warm in his memory.
"There you go," Sirius said, making Harry jump. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd had a good time at all. You came back looking like you'd been confounded."
"I had a really good time," said Harry, looking over to his godfather. "Fleur and I are dating now."
Sirius' hand halted halfway to his mouth, another olive held between three fingers. A smile broke out on his rugged face, pulling years from his tired features.
"Well," he said, popping the olive into his mouth. "I can't say I'm surprised, though I'm not sure I expected anything quite so soon."
"You're not surprised?" Harry asked, gaping at Sirius. "Why wouldn't you be surprised? It's crazy!"
"It's not that crazy, Harry," Sirius said with a laugh. "I expect anybody that has seen much of the two of you together won't be too surprised."
"But she's-"
"I know," Sirius interrupted, "but don't get all hung up on it. Be excited! I'm happy for you, Harry. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Harry mumbled, feeling his ears burn. "It seems unreal...like I'm going to wake up from a dream."
He looked over at Sirius when there was no reply, and found his godfather with surprisingly misty eyes.
"What-?"
"Your father said the same thing to me about twenty years ago…" Sirius shook himself from his memories and preened a little in his seat. "I'm much better at dispensing advice now, so I won't be saying to you what I said to him. What I will instead say, is that true genuine friendships are hard to come by, and romantic relationships even more so. I'm sure you're feeling like you don't measure up, but she thinks you do, and that's what counts, isn't it?"
"She said the same thing," said Harry.
"Well, she seems pretty smart to me," Sirius said, offering Harry a small piece of cheese from his plate. He set it back down when Harry refused, and put the plate on the small table. "Why don't you head to bed," Sirius said. "I'm sure it'll be a while before you can sleep, and you'll want to be as well-rested as you can be for tomorrow."
Harry nodded, bade Sirius goodnight as he left the living room, and ascended the dark, narrow stairs towards his bedroom. He shut the door behind him, quickly stripping off his nice clothes and tossing them onto the top of his dresser. He threw himself facedown on his bed, groaning as the nosepiece of his glasses dug into the skin of his nose.
He dropped his glasses on his nightstand, and situated himself properly in the bed, staring up at the blurry ceiling. Sirius certainly seemed right in his prediction. Harry doubted he'd be getting to sleep for quite a while, especially with Fleur's beautiful features above her attractive Christmas dress floating through his mind as the night drew on.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Sirius' wakeup call from the hallway woke Harry with a start, his heart hammering in his chest for the first few disorienting moments of consciousness. He quickly grabbed his glasses, allowing the sight of his new room to settle his morning nerves.
"Coming!" Harry called, swinging his legs out of bed and standing up. He was surprised to see chilly winter light filtering through the curtains on his window. He quickly pulled on a new set of clothes and grabbed the gifts he had stashed away under his bed. He stood, a smile growing on his face as the last mists of sleep cleared from his mind. He was getting ready to go spend Christmas with his girlfriend and her family.
It was with a decidedly light step that he descended the stairs to join Sirius for a quick breakfast to tide them over before the Christmas meal Apolline had promised them. The conversation was limited, both Harry and Sirius focused on the day ahead of them. Harry felt his mind wandering back to his selection of gifts sitting in his chair by the fireplace, wondering for likely the thousandth time if they would be well received. With such limited gift-giving experience, he hoped he had chosen well.
"Sirius?" he found himself saying as his thoughts again turned back to the upcoming event. "Did you celebrate Christmas when you were younger?"
Sirius' gray eyes widened at the sudden question, the haze of memory clouding them as a melancholy smile pulled lightly at his mouth.
"We didn't," he said quietly, his eyes darting over to the entrance to the living room. "We celebrated Yule. Lots of pureblood families do, especially the ones of the 'blood superiority' mindset."
His smile grew into an odd mix of affection and sadness as he leaned back in his chair. "But back then...we didn't know that. Bella helped our father with the Yule log, at least until I was old enough. She threw an absolute fit the year he told her it was my turn. He tried to get Andromeda and Narcissa to help, but Bella wouldn't let them. She loved Yule and was happy to include all of us in the rest of it, but for some reason, she felt so strongly about being the only one to help him with that log.
"Even Kreacher liked the season, though he was much less surly back then, probably because our mother was in a good mood too. It wasn't often that we all got along, and I think it made her happy when we did. It was almost like we were a different family around Yule. Bella and I would lay off Regulus, Andy would open up a little and join in with the rest of the family, and even Narcissa relaxed a bit and was more approachable." He laughed lightly at some invisible faded memory. "Even back then she could be prickly and hard to talk to." He sighed, visibly dragging himself back to the present. "Simpler times," he said, smiling at Harry. "So to answer your question; no, this will be my first Christmas as well."
Sirius suddenly sat up, the change in his demeanor making Harry tense in surprise.
"I keep forgetting to ask you, do you want to do our gifts here, or at the Delacours?" He looked through to the living room, a grimace crossing his face. "It's not exactly festive in here. Sorry about that."
"It's okay, " said Harry. "I don't mind exchanging gifts here. It'll be like a second Christmas."
"A third for you," Sirius corrected with a grin on his face. He mercifully didn't say anything more as Harry felt his face heat in memory of the previous evening...
Would he be able to kiss Fleur while at her parents?
"We'd better get going," Sirius said, rising from his seat. "They'll be expecting us soon."
A few minutes later, Harry and Sirius stood in front of the fireplace, gifts in hand. Sirius held a fistful of floo powder clenched in one fist, his hand frozen in midair.
"What's wrong?" Harry said, glancing over to his godfather, who darted a quick glance back at the small table next to his chair before shrugging.
"Just nervous," Sirius answered flatly. "Making friends in your thirties is tough, but we're getting there." He grinned down at Harry and tossed the powder into the fire. "But it's even harder if I just stay here by myself. You go first, I'll be right behind you."
Fading green flames followed a duet of 'Delacour residence,' leaving Grimmauld Place silent and cold, save for the occasional grumble of a particularly sour house-elf.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Harry and Sirius were greeted by a loud chorus of 'Happy Christmas!' as they stepped out of the floo one after the other and out into a veritable Christmas wonderland. The normally tidy but relatively spartan house had been decorated from top to bottom with festive decorations. Before he could admire the fantastic scene in front of him, Fleur enveloped him in a hug, a flash of lavender ribbon catching his eye as she pulled him in.
"Happy Christmas, Harry," she whispered into his shoulder. "You see, we were worried about nothing. It was not all a dream."
Harry nodded against her, stepping back as she released him. He saw that she was wearing the same dress as the previous night, but the embroidered snow had been enchanted to flurry across her dress in an invisible wind.
"Do you like it?" she asked, again spinning to display her handiwork.
"Yeah," Harry answered, nodding. "You did this last night?"
"I...could not sleep," she admitted, flushing.
"Me either," Harry admitted.
Any more conversation was interrupted by Apolline, who approached them, beaming.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" She said, her arms held out in invitation. Harry stepped quickly forward, accepting the gentle hug. When they parted, Apolline pulled her red Christmas hat from her head and placed it atop Harry's. "Even Sebastian wears a little Christmas something on the actual holiday."
Hearing his name, Sebastian gave a wave from where he stood talking with Sirius, both wearing similar red hats, though the rest of his outfit was far less seasonal than Fleur and Apolline's.
"Fleur, will you go get Gabrielle, and help her with her dress if she hasn't figured it out yet?" Apolline asked.
Fleur nodded, casting a quick smile over to Harry before walking quickly towards the stairs. Harry and Apolline joined Sirius and Sebastian, eliciting another round of 'Happy Christmas' from everyone.
Polite comments about the season and their decorations carried Sirius and Harry through a short conversation with the Delacours while they waited for Fleur and Gabrielle to join them. Sirius complimented Apolline's forest green dress and Sebastian's matching, if less noticeable, accented button-up to great effect, earning him a 'thank you' from both of them.
Their attentions were diverted when Gabrielle and Fleur turned the corner, Gabrielle's dress moving similarly to Fleur's, though the snowflakes were falling straight down a deep blue dress to gather at the bottom before a breeze whisked them back to the top. It wasn't only her dress that caught his attention, as the top of her head now seemed almost even with Fleur's shoulder as they walked side by side into the parlor.
"'Appy Christmas," Gabrielle greeted them. "Eet is good to see you again."
"Happy Christmas," Harry and Sirius chorused, waving along with their greeting.
"Now that everyone is here," Apolline said, herding the group through the tinsel covered doorway into the living room, "it is time for our family Christmas tradition!"
Harry let himself be ushered through the doorway, Fleur falling in step alongside him and offering him a nervous smile. Before he had a chance to ask what was bothering her, he was struck by the fact that the room held the largest Christmas tree he had ever seen, sitting just in front of a large window right next to another large fireplace, a massive fire already burning inside. The tree was wrapped in tinsel and held small animated ornaments on its many branches, a large shining star perched perfectly on top with warm lights strung throughout the tree.
"Wow," Harry said, the word escaping before he realized he had thought it.
"It is magnificent, is it not?" Fleur said. "Maman has been working on it for days. She likes to do it by hand, instead of using magic."
"It is more...personalized that way," Apolline said, walking up to Harry and Sirius with a handful of small square boxes. "Please, take one."
They dutifully took the offered boxes and waited for the rest to be distributed to Fleur, Gabrielle, and Sebastian. Apolline turned to Harry and Sirius once she was finished, and nodded to their boxes.
"As you may or may not know, " Apolline began, addressing Harry and Sirius. "Veela are descended from fairies, either Vila or Samodiva, to be exact. Many centuries ago, people used to hang ribbons from trees in the woods of Bulgaria to try to gain the favor of the fairies." She opened the box in her hand and withdrew a long white ribbon. "It's not as though we need our own favor," she said with a small laugh, "but it is a family tradition that's been passed down for hundreds of years. We like to keep it going, to help us remember where we came from."
Harry opened his box when he saw Fleur open hers, and withdrew an identical white ribbon from inside. Apolline walked up to the tree and tied the long ribbon to a branch, the end just barely hanging above the floor. She turned and waved Harry over with a smile, Fleur, Gabrielle, and Sebastian already hanging theirs from their own branches.
"If it's a family tradition," asked Harry, tentatively, "should we be doing it too?"
Apolline's smile never wavered as she stared kindly at him for a moment before speaking.
"Of course you should," she said firmly. "It's hard to believe that you have been in our lives for only a year. I hope it's not too strange of me to tell you that it has already become difficult to imagine our family without you being a part of it."
"Besides," Sebastian said, joining his wife. "We wouldn't have invited you over if we didn't want you to participate, simple as that."
Harry nodded, not trusting any words to slip by the heavy lump in his throat. He reached up and tied his ribbon to a branch close to Fleur's, with Sirius tying his alongside. Fleur moved close to him as he stepped back from the tree to admire his handiwork.
"It's good to see so many hanging there," Apolline said with a happy sigh, admiring the tree through slightly misty eyes.
"Eet is just two more, Maman," Gabrielle said, flopping down into one of the nearby comfortable chairs.
"Even so..." said Apolline as she wrapped an arm around Sebastian's middle. She shivered and looked up at her husband. "Will you grab some more wood for the fire? I tossed the last of it in and I'm already chilly."
Sebastian nodded, squeezing Apolline once before letting go.
"Harry," he said with a smile, "come give me a hand. We'll need more than I can carry."
Harry nodded again, and followed Sebastian from the room, noting with a small blossom of pride that Fleur and Gabrielle were huddled together under the large blanket he'd given Fleur for her birthday. Fleur looked up from where she sat and gave him an oddly apologetic smile. Before he could ask why, Sebastian led Harry from the living room and to the front, where he handed Harry a heavy winter coat.
"Robes are better at keeping the heat in," Sebastian said, donning a coat of his own, "but they get in the way of pretty much anything physical. That's why we keep coats around. It's hard work keeping the house warm enough for them."
"Couldn't you just cast warming charms around the house?" Harry asked as they stepped through the door and out into a light snowfall.
"We do occasionally," said Sebastian, leading Harry around the side of the house, "but by the time you've got the room to where you want it, the first charms are wearing off. Conventional heating methods work well enough." He stopped in his tracks and turned to Harry with a grin. "Though your birthday gift to Fleur was an incredible find. I hope you don't mind that I stole your idea for gifts for Gabrielle and Apolline."
"Not at all," Harry replied, shaking his head. He pulled his red hat down over his ears, shielding them from the brisk winter wind.
Sebastian resumed walking, stepping through the new-fallen snow in silence for a few moments, the crunch of their shoes the only sound punctuating the morning air.
"Speaking of Fleur," Sebastian said, stopping again and turning to Harry. "She told me you two are dating now."
Harry nodded, his back stiffening as he remembered Fred's horror stories of meeting Angelina's father.
Sebastian smiled as he looked down at Harry, and put his hands behind his back.
"No need to worry. This isn't some sort of warning talk or anything like that," he said with a chuckle. "She's a grown woman, and hardheaded too. It's not up to me to influence something that's her decision. If you were anybody else, I'd simply ask that you be good to her, but I hardly think that'll be an issue considering all you've done for us."
"I didn't-"
"I know," Sebastian said, holding a hand up. "And I'm sorry for interrupting, but I expect this is something you and I will disagree on for as long as we know each other. So let's not worry about it. What I wanted to tell you was what Apolline's father told me when we first started dating."
Harry nodded, mentally preparing himself for whatever admonition or advice he was about to receive.
"Welcome to the family."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Harry and Sebastian returned to the festive group, their arms laden with wood for the dwindling fire. They set the logs on a small metal rack next to the fireplace, tossing a couple into the fire to appreciative thanks from Apolline who was darting jealous looks over to where Gabrielle and Fleur were huddled under their blanket. Sirius lounged in an armchair next to Apolline's loveseat, his red hat sitting crookedly atop his head.
Harry dusted the bits of bark from his arms and turned to find Fleur holding open one edge of the blanket, patting the couch beside her with her other hand. He joined her and Gabrielle, Fleur scooting over slightly as he sat so she could lean against him.
"Time for gifts!" Apolline announced.
Sebastian stood from setting down the last of his logs and readjusted the hat on his head, a grin growing on his face as both Fleur and Gabrielle became visibly more excited. Fleur grabbed Harry's hand beneath the cover, favoring him with one of her pure brilliant smiles. Sebastian swiftly dispensed the gifts from beneath the tree as directed, handing the final, slightly lumpy gift to Apolline.
"It is not the most...original gift," he said, one corner of his mouth quirked in a smile. "But even so, I think you'll like it."
Apolline deftly removed the wrapping paper, an appreciative 'ooh' of delight escaping as she held up a deep blue version of the same blanket covering Harry, Fleur, and Gabrielle.
No sooner had she held up the blanket, than Gabrielle tore into a similarly shaped gift, extracting a forest green one for herself. She pulled herself from beneath Fleur's and wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, muttering a warming charm once she had situated herself comfortably beneath it. Only her head was visible outside the cover, her long hair splayed out over the front in a silvery waterfall.
"Thank you," Apolline said, wrapping herself similarly to Gabrielle.
"Credit where it's due," Sebastian said, nodding across the room at Harry. "An excellent find."
The rest of the gifts were met with gasps of delight and many thanks exchanged across the festive room. Harry tried not to be too reverential in opening his final gift from the Delacours, but even with the thought in mind, he couldn't help but open his gift slowly to draw out the moment.
He lifted the lid off a thin box to uncover a small pile of official-looking papers resting inside. He scanned the first page, his eyes landing quickly on the first line, his breath catching hard in his throat.
The following include your rights and responsibilities as a potential candidate to adopt Harry James Potter.
His eyes snapped up to Apolline and Sebastian, who were staring back with equal parts fondness and anxiety.
"We hope it's not too forward," said Apolline, her normally strong voice wavering. "And it's only a backup, in case something happens before the end of the school year and you can't go with Sirius." She looked over to Sebastian as he put an arm around her shoulder.
"You are free to say no, if you want," Sebastian continued for Apolline. "But we wanted you to know that no matter what happens before the end of this school year, you have a home."
Harry stared at them, speechless. After a moment, Fleur squeezed his knee in reassurance, the contact of her warm hand pulling him from his jumbled thoughts and back in reality. A reality where he sat next to his girlfriend on Christmas day, surrounded by people who cared for him...and who wanted him.
To his complete and utter embarrassment, on yet another happy Christmas day, he burst into tears.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
The rest of the day was filled with such merriment and obvious care for his wellbeing that Harry was almost certain it had to be a dream. Even after recovering from his embarrassing display, he was horrified to find an obnoxious lump in his throat any time Sebastian or Apolline smiled fondly at him, or Sirius clapped him affectionately on the shoulder. To his incredible relief and extreme appreciation, he found Fleur standing by his side like a guard, occasionally intertwining her fingers through his whenever he found himself particularly close to another breakdown.
It wasn't until after Apolline's magnificent Christmas feast that he began to feel himself again, a welcome feeling that was nearly ruined by Apolline's sudden disappearance from the living room, where the group had retired after eating, stuffed and happy. When she returned, she motioned for him to join her in the other room, away from the others. Fleur shrugged when he looked to her for an answer, though he could see suspicion hiding in the corners of her eyes and nervousness in the way she pulled at her still-lavender ribbon.
"I expect she wants to talk about you and me, Harry," Fleur said quietly, lightly pinching Gabrielle who had leaned in to listen to their conversation. "I thought they might. I am sorry."
"It's okay," Harry said, rising to his feet from under their shared blanket. "It's been nothing compared to what I've heard from the other guys at school."
"Still…" Fleur said, frowning. "Please tell me if she is too...much."
Harry nodded his agreement before joining Apolline in the other room, briefly stopping to admire the twinkling lights strung through the tinsel around the frame of the doorway. She was seated in a small couch by an already roaring fireplace when he entered, and she patted the spot next to her inviting him to sit. He dutifully sat down next to her, staring at the small ornate box she held in her other hand.
"It's funny the way things happen," Apolline mused, handing the fancy wooden box over to him as she spoke. "This was Sebastian's first-ever Christmas gift to me."
Harry undid the small clasp on the front and lifted the lid slowly, revealing a faded red bundle of cloth resting inside. Apolline reached in and withdrew the folded ribbon, stringing it out lovingly between her hands.
"It wasn't until much later that Sebastian finally confessed that he'd almost made himself sick obsessing over the perfect gift," she explained, glancing up fondly as Sebastian's laugh rang out from the other room. "I still suspect someone took pity on him and told him of the link between Veela and fairies, but he maintains that he figured it out, and wanted to 'earn my favor'."
She laughed lightly, placing the faded ribbon back into its box. "It certainly worked, as you can see." She closed the lid again, and set the box down and sat it next to her on the couch. She stared at Harry for a moment, her soft blue eyes scanning his.
"What are the chances that you would get my daughter the same gift my husband got me so many years ago?" she mused, one side of her mouth quirking up into a half-smile.
"I-I didn't…" Harry tried his face heating beneath the implication.
"I know you didn't," Apolline cut in gently, resting her hand gently on his arm. "I did not call you in here to embarrass you. Quite the opposite actually. I didn't think you'd appreciate talking about it in front of everyone."
Harry shook his head. He supposed he should've prepared himself for the discussions the night before when he'd been able to talk with Fleur alone, but he'd had precious little else on his mind other than her.
"I am very happy for you both," she continued, withdrawing her hand. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought it at least a possibility not long after I met you that time in Hogsmeade."
"You too?" Harry managed weakly.
"Of course! She spoke of you with such high esteem, even after just your first meeting. Sebastian and I have not been together so long that I have forgotten what those first feelings of attraction are like."
"It's...hard to believe," Harry said, the repetition of the phrase somehow settling his nerves. Even though he couldn't believe it, and no matter how many times he said so, it didn't change the reality that they were, in fact, together.
"Only for you," Apolline countered gently. She smiled enigmatically at his answering confusion. "I feel compelled to ask you to be kind and understanding in your time together, but I doubt she would have chosen you if you weren't those things already. It will not be an easy thing, for you two to be together," she continued, her smile falling slightly as she spoke. "Both of you bring challenges to the relationship."
"We talked about some of them," said Harry.
"That's good!" Apolline replied, grinning at him. "That is a fantastic start. I presume one of the topics was your nearly world-wide fame for what happened with Voldemort?"
Harry nodded.
"What about...your age?" Apolline asked, her tone becoming purposefully soft and delicate.
"We...didn't," Harry said slowly, the idea needling its way into his mind. He'd never even considered that it would be a problem. He mentally shook himself of the thought. He knew that the real reason was that he had never even thought it a possibility that she would want to date him in the first place, so it would never have been an issue.
"I am not surprised," she said, nodding slowly. "In most ways, you are more mature than an average fifteen-year-old, and since she has known you I expect she has not seen you as anything other than an equal." Apolline anxiously chewed on her lip, a tic that made it even clearer that she was Fleur's mother. "I doubt that everyone will see it that way, though it is not the...taboo...that it is in the muggle world, especially in Magical Britain. Many of the oldest families there have signed almost medieval-style marriage contracts binding thirteen and fourteen-year-old children together, though thankfully the practice has largely fallen out of use.
"I just want you to be aware and prepared in case the issue is brought up." She smiled knowingly at him. "I suspect the thought hadn't crossed your mind either until I brought it up, did it?"
Harry shook his head.
"Well, you two may very well be too busy trying to figure out how to cultivate a relationship around what comes with being Veela to worry much at all over what others are saying," she said with a sigh. "I remember how difficult it was for us...in the beginning," Apolline said, her voice soft with memory. "For whatever reason, we had this idea in our heads that we could go out like all of our friends did. We would try to go out to parties, or out to eat for a romantic dinner, and every single time we were interrupted by the people that would clamor for my attention. Honestly, we were both so stubborn that it took us far longer than it should have to admit defeat, and start enjoying our dates in solitude."
She visibly brought herself back from her memories with a wince.
"I'm not telling you this to warn you away, but so you don't make the same mistakes we did. We mentioned it when we talked to her one of the first few times about what it is to grow up Veela, and I think it stuck with her. I wouldn't be surprised if she's worried about it, or worried about being an inconvenience to someone she cares so much about."
"She didn't quite say it like that," Harry said slowly, remembering her worried ramblings about the 'difficulties' they would face. "But I don't mind at all," he added with a shrug. "If anything, I'd be the inconv-"
"Don't you dare finish that," Apolline interrupted, though her tone was gentle, if a bit firm. "You are an inconvenience to no-one in this house. Every single person here would be devastated were you to vanish from our lives."
Harry's gaze dropped guiltily to his lap. He knew it. Most of the time he even felt it. It was just so...new.
"If you were," she continued, "do you think we'd have offered our family to you?"
Harry shrugged, unable to vocalize his thoughts.
"Do you think Sirius would be trying so hard to be reinstated as the Head of House Black if you were an inconvenience?"
Harry shook his head slowly. After years on the run, and being at the mercy of the Ministry, he knew Sirius wasn't likely to do anything he didn't want to do.
"And do you think Fleur would cherish your friendship so much that she would seek a deeper relationship with you if you were such an inconvenience?"
Harry again shook his head, staring pointedly down at his hands resting in his lap.
"Forgive me for...being so repetitious, but I would desperately love for you to see yourself as we see you. Sometimes you have to trust in others, when you cannot clearly see yourself."
Harry felt his face burn and fought valiantly against the hated words that automatically settled on his tongue trying to deny her words. They wanted to tell her that he had been tricking them all along, and was just as worthless as he'd always been told he was.
He suddenly found he had to struggle less as a thought occurred to him. He didn't want to tell her he was worthless. He didn't want her to think he was. He could feel the previously unseen specter of his uncle retreat a little from his mind as he looked up into Apolline's open and caring features.
"Thank you, Mrs. Delacour," Harry said thickly.
"Of course, Harry," Apolline said. "But I think Sebastian and I have monopolized your limited time with Fleur long enough. You go on back, and I will join you shortly after I put this away." She grabbed the wooden box from where it rested on the couch and stood.
"It's difficult…" Apolline said suddenly, jumping as though she'd surprised herself by speaking. "It's difficult to see your daughter grow up. Especially when what we are makes her life more difficult than it should be. It seems just yesterday she was just a small girl running through this house with her silver hair flying behind her…" she smiled a watery smile, and visibly composed herself. "I'm happy to know she's chosen someone who cares so much for her." Without waiting for a reply, she strode from the room, the box clutched tightly in her hand.
Harry returned to the living room where Sebastian and Sirius had begun playing a card game Harry had never seen before. Gabrielle sat next to Fleur, her blanket still wrapped tightly around her with one of the books Harry had gotten her held in one hand, already a surprising number of pages deep. Fleur held another book in the series in her hand and was absently flipping through the pages, a small frown on her lips. She looked up quickly as he approached, an obvious question in her blue eyes. Harry shook his head and offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile before returning to his spot next to her.
The rest of the evening passed far too quickly for Harry's liking, a large portion of it being taken up by Sebastian and Sirius' attempts to teach him and Fleur how to play their card game. After a third failed attempt, Fleur finally convinced them to give it up as a bad job, deftly managed to extricate him from the group, and up to the front door.
"Come on," she whispered, though Harry doubted they'd be heard over the beginning of Sirius' latest story about his time on the run. "Grab a coat," she instructed, pulling on a large heavy coat of her own and stepping into a large pair of boots. She gently opened the door, motioning for him to close it quietly behind them as they stepped through.
The brisk winter day had given way to a chilly night, the cloudless sky allowing the sliver of moon to illuminate the unbroken snowdrifts in front of them. The afternoon had deposited enough snow for Harry's foot to sink deeply with each step, small clumps of wet snow falling into the tops of his shoes. He put the slight discomfort out of his mind, instead focusing on the private time he'd been longing for with Fleur.
"I feel terrible," Fleur said suddenly. They had been walking side-by-side in silence down the path, the snow beneath their feet the only sound breaking through the tranquil night.
"How come?" Harry asked, turning to her in surprise. He had been enjoying their quiet walk.
"I just…" she began, pursing her lips as she looked up into the starry sky. "I just want you to myself," she admitted, turning to him with a halfhearted grin on her face. "And when everyone is so happy to see you too."
Harry grinned back, the sentiment warming him from the inside, easily driving away the chill night air.
"I don't mind," he said, following her gaze up into the sky. "It's a lot of fun, but also a little...much."
"We can be a little enthusiastic," Fleur admitted. "I am sorry if it wears on you."
"If I weren't here...I'd be spending the day wandering around Hogwarts waiting for the evening feast, then heading to bed," he said. "So I reckon this is quite a bit better."
"I am glad you think so."
Fleur trailed off, their walk returning to its companionable silence. Harry couldn't help but glance over to her as they walked, admiring the way her hair caught the moonlight, it's braided length almost as radiant as the snow around them, the glow only broken by her lavender ribbon. He saw her shiver, and the red tint to cheeks as a soft breeze lifted the stray strands of hair from the side of her face. Her breath came out in voluminous foggy clouds each time she exhaled before it slowly drifted away on the wind.
She turned her head to look at him, and he jumped in surprise at being caught staring. She smiled, turning back to face the rolling snow-covered countryside.
"I hope my parents were not too overzealous in their talks with you. I tried to dissuade them, but in the end, I could only ask that they restrain themselves."
"It wasn't bad," Harry answered. "They were both really...kind."
"I am glad to hear that," Fleur said, her large sigh of relief floating away into the night air. Her hand reached up to her braid and tugged gently on the loose ends of her ribbon. "I hope our tradition did not seem too...strange." She smiled at him, though he could see the effort of it. "I did not think it would bother you. It is just that when it comes to our fey side or my other form...I get nervous. It is because of those things that some people see us as sub-human, and even mentioning them can be an uncomfortable reminder, even when I am safe in my own home...my parent's home," she corrected, shaking her head. She stopped walking, halting him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I am sorry to ask again," she said, her eyes focused down on their snow-covered feet, "but I cannot get it out of my mind. Does all of this...really not bother you? Not even a little bit? You came face to face with my other form and seeing it did not worry or frighten you? Or the way it can be so single-minded and violent?"
"You were just...intense," Harry said, shrugging. "I didn't feel like I was in danger at all. You spent most of the time protecting me anyway. Especially after my arm got burnt."
A haunted shadow passed across Fleur's face while a shudder, completely independent of the cold, traveled across her body.
"Seeing you after the first task...left an impression," she whispered. "One that has only grown stronger the closer we have gotten." She shook herself free of the memory and offered him a tentative smile. "Regardless, I am glad it did not bother you."
"It was still you though," Harry said after a moment's thought. "You were different, sure, but not so different that I couldn't see you."
He felt his face heat as he considered his words, and saw Fleur's head tilted slightly at his sudden embarrassment. He didn't want to tell her just how much about her he noticed, but when she was so obviously troubled about something...he had to do what he could to help.
"The voice in my head when you spoke was the same," he said quietly. She stared at him in wide-eyed surprise. "The way you moved was the same too, even with your wings." He fidgeted beneath her gaze, hoping she didn't find him too weird. "Your eyes were the same too. They glowed a bit, but I could still see you smile, or frown. You were still you, just a little different."
Fleur stepped forward and Harry opened his arms for the hug he expected and was almost bowled over when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and fervently locked their lips together, the warmth of her driving any traces of cold from his body.
She broke the kiss far too soon, but to Harry's delight, seemed content to hold him tight around the shoulders, smiling at him as he stared in wonder back at her, their noses so close as to almost touch.
He saw her eyes suddenly widen as her face flushed, and she stepped quickly back, looking at the small melted circle of snow around them.
"Oh…" she said, biting her lip as she looked at the wet cobblestones beneath their feet. "I did not know that could happen."
Harry looked up into her slightly panicked face, a fragile smile resting below nervous eyes.
"I suppose...there are other times a younger Veela can lose control of her abilities," she mumbled. "Not just when she is angry."
Her blush deepened, and he was seized by the sudden desire to tease her, even just slightly. Turnabout was fair play, after all.
"It's sort of...cute," he said, grinning nervously at her.
Harry caught only a flash of silver hair and stars as she succeeded in knocking him over, the feeling of her soft but fervent kisses overriding the snowy pillow that broke their fall, or the cold dampness that seeped into the back of his clothes as the snow around them melted away against the heat at his front.
AN: Thanks for your patience! Well...I had hoped to have this one done and ready to post by the two-year anniversary...but I'm a week late for that. At the rate we're going, I doubt we'll make it to the three year one before it's finished.
Honestly, I just want to say that I appreciate all of you who have reviewed. Not only the last two chapters (which really meant a lot that they were so well received) but the whole thing. It's an incredible sense of satisfaction to hear that people are enjoying it. My big stupidly worded goal for writing is 'to make people feel things with words'. And it seems like I'm getting there. So thanks!
