Chapter 13
Fleur sighed heavily and looked up into Wood's chocolate brown eyes with a smile. She smoothed her hair down around her face and straightened her posture.
"Oliver, I don't know vhat you are zinking but I am fine." Fleur spoke confidently, hiding her doubtful interior.
Wood's eyes caressed her pale face and he forced out a faint smile.
"Okay Fleur, hey why don't we postpone that Quidditch practice until tomorrow? I assume we're both tired after Percy's exasperated lecture on the importance of annunciation." Wood said, with a smirk.
"Yez well Percy zeems very analytical, but he iz a gentleman."
"You're right, now can I walk you back to the common room?" Wood asked chivalrously.
"Yez you may, let me just get my zings in order." Fleur answered and went to work retrieving her belongings.
Wood watched her as she zealously made sure everything was in its place in her bag. Her silvery strands of hair fell from behind her ears and swished back and forth with her movements. Wood found himself in a daze until Fleur glanced up and was finished with a smile.
"Alright, I'm ready." Fleur spoke and heaved her bag over her shoulder.
"Here, let me carry that for you." Wood offered.
"Oh no, I'm fine." Fleur replied consciously.
"Don't be silly Delacour." Wood came back at her with a laugh.
Before Fleur knew what was happening Wood gently slide her bag off her shoulder and added to his load. Fleur stood in awe for a moment, as if no other man had ever done such a thing in her life. Men were always falling at her feet, yet this felt different.
"Don't tell me millions of chaps haven't already done this for you." Wood commented cheekily.
"Yeah, I just never had a friend want to help me like you before."
"So it's official, we're mates now huh?" Wood asked.
Fleur nodded with a smile. Wood grinned back at her and then started to head towards the Gryffindor Common Room with Fleur in toe.
"Go on Harry…"Ron said slightly nudging Harry out from the corner.
"But what if she says no, what if she laughs?" Harry questioned himself aloud.
"She won't Harry, she fancies you as well. Believe me I've heard it enough times to last me a complete life-time." Ron added rolling his eyes.
Harry gave a nod to Ron and walked closer to the fire where Hermione was quietly studying. She had a mass selection of books surrounding her like a barrier. Harry crept silently towards her, and then misjudged his next steps. He tripped over the black Defense Against the Dark Arts book and fell flat on his face.
Hermione shot her head up and looked at Harry spread upon her work with his glasses hanging crookedly off his face. Ron tried to suppress his laughter and hid behind the wall again.
"Harry what are you doing?" Hermione asked with a hint of anger.
"I was just…"
"Just what? Did Ron dare you to come over here and mess with my work again? I'm going to bloody murder him!" Hermione began to raise her voice.
"No, no Hermione wait…" Harry suddenly got louder and fixed himself up.
"Yes?" Hermione turned to look at him once more as Harry grabbed her shoulder.
Hermione looked surprised and suddenly flashed a light shade of red. Harry's piercing green eyes were locked on her eyes.
"I…well…Ron didn't dare me. I came around here because I wanted to talk to you." Harry stuttered.
"About what?"
"About how I need…help in Snape's class." Harry quickly sputtered.
"Oh, don't you always?" Hermione shot back.
"And I like you…I think you're beautiful." Harry entered suddenly.
Hermione stopped movement and her jaw lay open. She tugged on pieces of her bushy hair in the back and goofily grinned.
"Well Harry, I never knew…"
"That's right you didn't know, and Harry didn't know you fancied him, now can you two just get on with it? I'm tired of the groaning and staring and such." Ron emerged from his hiding place.
Hermione and Harry both looked at him with surprise.
"Ron I can't believe you just said that!" Hermione shouted.
"It's not like it's a big secret, besides you were just about to tell him weren't you?" Ron interrupted placing his hands on his hips.
"Well yes, but you could have let me do it!" Hermione yelled back.
Ron and Hermione started to bicker and Harry scratched his head and then decided it was time for him to break it up. He pulled Hermione away from Ron. She looked like she was close to losing it and taking a swing right at his jaw.
"Come on now you two, the secret is out. I know and that's all that matters Mione, because you know I want to be with you too."
Hermione stopped struggling and turned in towards Harry.
"I never thought to look at it that way." She said with a smile.
"I guess you don't know everything then." Harry teased.
Hermione giggled and started to play with the collar on Harry's shirt which Harry definitely did not mind a bit. Ron scoffed and made gagging motions. He now couldn't believe he had helped, maybe this was going to be worse not better.
Fleur and Wood entered the Common Room and saw the scene before them. Fleur smiled and Wood rolled his eyes while dropping both of their things to the floor.
"What you don't zink its sweet?" Fleur asked playfully.
"No, who wants to see those two all over one another at all. I mean Quidditch is what dominates my time anymore. I don't have the time to be prancing around after girls." Wood answered.
"Not even if it were the right girl?"
"I don't know, but I'll let you know if she ever shows up." Wood spoke sarcastically.
"Please tell me I didn't just ruin something." Ron whined as he slithered over to them.
"You helped zis along?" Fleur asked with interest.
"Yeah, what a stupid bloke am I?"
"You're not, it'z vonderful. I'm happy you helped, Hermione haz been down for a vhile. Maybe zis vill start something great."
"You are so sentimental." Wood concurred.
"And iz that a bad zing?" Fleur asked looking back at him.
"No…guess not."
"Vell you zink that over and I vill see you both tomorrow." Fleur chortled.
"Goodnight Fleur, sweet dreams." Ron said half in a dazed state of mind.
Ron stared as Fleur smiled and swayed her hips as she walked towards the stairs. He was so taken in with the way she talked and held herself together. She was Ron's true vision of what a woman was supposed to be like. Little did Ron know he was not the only one in the room noticing all the wonderful aspects of Fleur Delacour.
Wood was watching and taking it all in as well. She was not a goddess in his eyes though. She was a girl that seemed lonely and perhaps a bit lost. He couldn't believe this girl that he had assumed to be a snotty princess was now his friend. There was only one catch, if they were only supposed to be friends, why did Wood keep getting these conflicting feelings about her? And funnily enough, it wasn't her looks that were habituating in his mind. No doubt he did notice her sultry skin and beautiful hair, but it was her manner…the unpredictable personality behind it. And those eyes, they burned into him like nothing else he had ever felt…and she was going out with Percy Weasley.
