Fleur Delacour was self conscious. Not of her looks. Not of one of the fourteen freckles she's found on her skin. Not of her sometimes arrogant personality. Definitely not of her country (France is superior to all others). She'll throw a fireball at you if you even consider her being self conscious of being a Veela.
No. Fleur is self conscious of her love of sweets. She believes no self respecting 20 year old woman should squee at the thought of a chocolate croissant. And yet, the third thing she did when moving to another country was look for the bakery. The one she would need to frequent.
It had to be away from magical society but not so far that it would be difficult to go to unannounced. It, of course, needed to have chocolate croissants in addition to many, many baked goods for her to munch on.
Fleur had finally found it! Font Verte Patisserie was a 15 minute walk once leaving Diagon Alley and at the very least had chocolate croissants on the menu.
When she was nearing the door, Fleur could barely contain her excitement. She pulled it open and was immediately hit with the sweet, sweet smell of fresh bread, chocolate, dried fruits, and toffee; her shoulders relaxed but the rest of her was on fire. Heels bouncing, smile as wide as ever, Fleur knew this was the right place.
She'd ordered one of everything. Or at least as much as she thought she could consume in her lunch break. A chocolate croissant, of course, chocolate mousse, a slice of tiramisu, 3 macarons, and a jelly doughnut. Fleur struggled to be quiet. It was so good! She could feel the moans of delight begging to come out. There were too many people in the shop for her to feel comfortable however.
"I hope your enjoying the tiramisu. I just made it" A voice shook her out of her sweet induced revelry.
"Oui. Some of ze best I 'ave ever 'ad." Fleur replied earnestly looking upon whomever spoke.
It wasn't just anybody. It was Harry Potter. The boy who saved her sister from the lake. Did he always have such piercing eyes?
"Fleur?" The now recognized Harry responded with surprise.
"'Arry! Non! Non! Non! Zis cannot be 'appening." Fleur, now agitated covered her face with her hands.
"What's wrong? I thought you were enjoying my tiramisu?" Harry hesitantly moving closer as if to grab her shoulder in comfort.
"No one was supposed to know!"
"About the tiramisu?" Harry now thoroughly confused replied.
"Oui. Non. About all of eet. Ze sweets. Je les aime."
Harry laughed. He laughed so hard the quick tilt of his head backwards knocked his glasses off his face.
Fleur moved her hands away from her face.
"Eet is not funny!"
Harry catching his breath, replied.
"Ok. Ok. I'm sorry. It's just-nevermind. What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Anozzer chocolate croissant."
And Harry laughed.
Despite the morbid embarrassment of someone finding out her love of sweets, Fleur couldn't stop the smile that came to her thinking about seeing Harry.
It was clear he was older. It was hard not to notice the broad shoulders, sharp jawline and smattering of stubble which stretched across it. But it was the same Harry.
He was kind. considerate. Always focused on others before himself. Adorable glasses framing piercing jade.
Fleur was absolutely certain she'd found the perfect sweets shop.
She was not happy. Two weeks into her new job, the idiot coworkers had not gotten out of the "ask the veela out" phase. Everyday she had at least one lose focus on their work to focus on her. Stupid men. Learn some fucking control. At least she doesn't have to worry about the goblins.
She'd finally been able to make room in her schedule to sneak back to Font Verte Patisserie. Just walking into the shop relaxed some of the annoyed energy she was brimming with.
"Fleur! I thought I'd scared you away." Harry, no longer working the kitchen called out to her with a smile.
"Non 'Arry. Nozzing could keep me away from ze bakery." Fleur replied finding levity she'd missed the last week.
"I've got something special for you. I've been working on my macarons."
Fleur giggled. (giggled!?)
"Be careful 'Arry. Spoil me any more and I might just keep you." Fleur bantered back.
Harry laughed. "Why don't you take a seat and I'll bring you a box with a coffee. Two sugars right?"
"Oui."
With nothing to do but wait, Fleur looked around the little bakery but her eyes always ended up back on Harry. He was so different in a fundamental way. He carried himself differently. It took until Harry was coming towards her with a plate of macarons to figure it out.
He smiles more, shakes people's hands. His gaze, which still had a piercing quality, no longer seemed to question the motives and very essence of the person it looked upon.
Someone else who's found strength and healing in sweets.
"Ok! Your coffee, madam." Harry, arriving at her table passed her a warm mug.
"And a selection of macarons. There is chocolate ganache, bananas foster, raspberry jam, and tiramisu fillings. Let me know what you think." Harry pointed each out on the plate before sitting across from her.
Carefully, eyeing each one, Fleur selected the chocolate ganache filling first.
Taking a dainty bite, the flavors exploded in her mouth and the moan she made was entirely unintentional.
But the blooming of red across Harry's cheeks made her wish it was intentional. It was adorable!
A scraping of a chair interrupted her musings and she looked over to see an older man making there way towards her.
"Merde"
"Jim mate. How can I help you?" Harry stood, warmly smiling and offering a hand to the man.
The now named Jim shook his head clearing the fog of the allure she had not noticed she'd been leaking.
"Uh, nothing. Not really sure?" Jim shook his head again.
"I've got a stop staying out so late. The missus is gonna be on my arse again." He continued with self-recrimination.
Harry smiled. "You take care of yourself then."
Turning over to look at Fleur, Harry apologized.
"Sorry about that. I forgot guys don't stop hounding you. Why don't you come back to the kitchen."
Fleur paused, surprised that Harry hadn't noticed her Allure.
"Bon. Zat would work."
Grabbing her coffee, Harry guided her behind a set of swinging doors to the kitchen.
It was a cramped space. Multiple ovens, stoves, fridges and counter tops filled the space.
"Oh. Oops forgot there's no chairs in here. Would you mind if we just hopped on a counter?"
"Non"
"Great."
Putting the coffee and macarons down, they both hopped onto a counter.
This time, it was Harry who was watching her.
"So what have you been up to?"
"I just started working at Gringotts as a curse breaker." Fleur replied.
"Oh wow! Congrats! How's that going?" Harry excitedly answered back.
Fleur looked away.
"Good. Well, I always have to deal with people getting used to my Allure zo not so good. But ze job is interesting so in a couple weeks it will be good."
"I-I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I can't imagine." Harry said seriously.
She looked at him again. That piercing, soul reading stare had returned. She felt bare and vulnerable, like he wasn't looking at her. No, he was looking at the scars upon her heart where the consequences of being a Veela hid.
Uncomfortable with this vulnerability, she grabbed another macaron.
"Oui. But ze sweets make it all better" Fleur said dramatically before taking a bite.
"Glad to be of service then." Harry smiled back.
It was a contagious smile. That was the only reason Fleur could think why she smiled back so quickly.
Looking down at her watch she realized there was 15 minutes left in her break.
"Desole 'Arry, I need to get back to work."
"Ok. You're welcome here anytime. I'll get a chair setup back here for you."
She didn't want to leave. The cozy atmosphere, delicious sweets, and kind man made her want to curl up and never move. But she couldn't.
So instead, she leaned in and kissed Harry's cheek. And stayed there. It felt right to kiss him. But she pulled back and with a final wave headed back to the dark caverns of Gringotts.
3 months later...
Her hands couldn't stop shaking. She'd pocketed her wand minutes ago.
I killed him. I killed him. I'm a murderer.
The sobs came then. Pouring into the still shaking hands there was no place to hold them back.
A fleeting thought came and went and the distraught blonde disappeared with a loud crack. Harry
"Fleur! Merlin, are you okay?" Harry spoke surprised but happy. It quickly morphed into concern.
She flew into his arms, sobs renewed. He held her close so close. Safe
It could have been hours, days even before she tired herself out. Falling asleep in his arms.
Some time later she awoke to a gentle hand gliding across her back. Warm and secure, she snuggled deeper.
"Fleur, can you tell me what happened?"
She flinched, seized even expecting a renewed onslaught of terror and sorrow. It never came. And so the words came.
"One of my colleagues, Robert, he-he missed a curse on ze walls and was possessed. He nearly hit me with a withering curse."
Looking up to his face, the fury in Harry's eyes was captivating. She continued with her story.
"He continued with cutting curses and other dark curses."
"One of mine,"
"'eet slit 'is zroat."
She couldn't look at him anymore, tucking into his chest again, desperate for more comfort.
The kiss above her brow was shocking but exactly what she needed.
"I am a murderer."
"No. You protected yourself from a man who was attacking you." So resolute was Harry's statement, that she believed it.
"Ok."
Her stomach chose that moment to grumble. A bit embarrassing but the rumble of Harry's laugh rolling through her more than made up for it.
"How do you feel about coming to my apartment? I've had a stew going the whole day." Harry asked.
Fleur had no hesitation, "Sounds delicious."
"Great. I need to grab a couple things and then I'll be ready to head out."
Harry separated from her and reluctantly Fleur removed her hands from his back already feeling cold.
Without thinking and before he could turn away, Fleur stepped back into his personal space and captured Harry's lips in a chaste kiss.
But the pure warmth and joy spreading from her lips to her toes made it clear. She was no monster. Not if she could still feel like this.
They separated slowly, and the look Harry was giving her was delicious.
"Uhhh-Right. I need keys. Keys." The flustering was adorable.
"Ok. We should be good to go." Shyly, Harry grasped her hand and they disappeared with a crack.
Their dinner was filled with smatterings of kisses, belly filling stew, and promises of a sweet future to come.
OMAKE
It was Fleur's birthday and she was ecstatic to be home after a long day of work. The thought of snuggling in with Harry and a bottle of wine changed the worn turn of her brows into a bright smile.
"'Arry!"
No response came. She walked into the living room, searching for the man.
The living room was empty except for a single chair.
"Sit in it." Harry's voice came out.
Searching, she couldn't find the source.
Trusting him, she sat in the chair.
Turning her head left, and then back forwards, Harry was suddenly there. Specifically his chest was right in front of her eyes. Covered in...she took a sniff, chocolate?
Looking down, his crotch was barely covered by a black thong. Shocked, she looked back up to Harry's face. Eyes bright with excitement and arousal peered down through his rounded glasses. He was wearing chocolate syrup and a thong and nothing else.
"No touching, love."
He lowered himself so that he was touching her. Hips rolling forward, Fleur's moan inescapable.
"Happy birthday Fleur."
Alternative Titles suggested by the Flowerpot Discord (join at discord . flowerpotprompts . com)
A Baker's Hands, a Stripper's Thighs
Ogres are like Onions and Bakers are like Ovens
Fleur Feeds her Fructose Fetish and Finds a Fabulous Friend
Harry's not kneading dough tonight (winky face)
In Sweets She Trusts
A Creative Application of Chocolate
A treatise on the application of chocolate
Who Needs Clothes when you've got Fudge?
Harry the baker f*ks hot birb
In all seriousness, checkout the discord to hang out with these awesome people. In particular, a big thanks to all the people who beta'd with an extra big shout out to ArmsofAtlas for being a huge help with some structural changes (and the idea for the omake).