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As from now on, this story is rated PG-13. Thanks, nevets/steve and bakamoo.

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Chapter 27 Beauxbaton

Thanks to his tight grip on Fleur, they managed to keep standing with out stumbling. Without thinking, he whipped out his wand but as he pointed his wand forward, he noticed that they were covered in his invisibility cloak.

Reality came flashing back to Harry and huge waves of relief washed over him so thoroughly that he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. He glanced around at his surroundings and saw that they were not entirely white; he was in fact looking at a snow-covered castle.

"What's wrong Harry?" Fleur asked, she could always tell when he was crying even without looking at him.

"I…I thought for a moment that we were going back to the Graveyard," Harry admitted breathlessly, "I kind of don't like traveling with Portkey especially long travels."

Fleur hugged him with both her arms and kissed him on his cheek, "It's all right I'm here."

"That's why I was scared I thought he might try and hurt you," Harry said and hugged her back, the powerful feeling that he always felt when he was close to Fleur flooded his body and he felt himself relax.

Fleur put the DVD in her robe pocked and wiped Harry's tears with her sleeve. "Welcome to Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic."

Fleur could also always tell when he was ready to go on. She started to walk up towards the castle and pulled Harry along.

"It's beautiful," Harry said after a glance at the castle, "Hogwarts is more imposing but not as beautiful."

"I know," Fleur said proudly, "And we should come here in the summer so I could show you the gardens."

Harry looked around at the garden and realized that it was much more impressing then Hogwarts's Rose garden even though it was covered with snow.

"Aren't we in southern France?" Harry asked abruptly, it seemed very unlikely that so much snow had fallen so far south.

"The snow is only a spell. It's prefect duty," Fleur explained as they reached the front doors.

"I think it's safe to slip out of the cloak now so that you can be greeted as a guest properly," Fleur said. "Don't look like that, Wingbeat, it's necessary you are one of the front figures in the war and people will want to believe in you."

"But I don't want peoples to believe in me, I haven't done anything!"

"You rather want them to believe in Voldemort?" Fleur asked softly, "Because I know he'll want them to believe in him."

Fleur was right of course but he had never thought of it in that way. He had a responsibility of representing their side in this war. He straitened himself up to his full length, pulled of the cloak and Fleur knocked on the doors with a wave of her wand. Harry just had time to put his invisibility cloak away before the front doors opened by Madam Maxime.

"Ah, Young Mr. Potter," Madam Maxime said and extended a huge hand which Harry shook, it was lucky perhaps that Harry was used to Hagrid's huge size otherwise he might have frozen.

"Fleur," Madam Maxime said and greeted her in French way with a hug and kisses. It was also very lucky that Hagrid didn't greet peoples like this because he was not by a long shot as gentle as Madam Maxime.

"You will have the top of the guest tower for yourself," Madam Maxime said and walked back into the Castle, Harry and Fleur following her.

"The view is fantastic from there," Fleur commented.

"I trust Fleur will give you a tour of the Beauxbaton" Maxime said, "And I hope you will join us for dinner."

"Yes of course," Fleur said and grabbed Harry's hand, "Come on I'll show you our room!"

Even though Beauxbaton was not nearly as old as Hogwarts there seemed to be just as much to say about every corridor and painting they passed as Fleur dragged him towards their room.

"The President stayed here when I was in my third year he's a muggle of course, he wanted to make sure that the magical world was real so he came here." Fleur explained and stopped in front of the door were the president had stayed, "And this is where we will stay!"

"Fleur Delacour and Harry Potter," Fleur told the door and it opened.

The most magnificent room Harry had ever seen lay in front of his eyes. The first thing he noticed was a huge panorama window in the far side of the room, quite unusual for castles but suiting for this room. The walls were covered in some kind of wood and lined with bookcases full of books. The floor was made of wood laid in the most extraordinary patterns, it had to be at least four different types of wood and several thick carpets covered huge parts of it. A huge couch and a table stood in the room in front of a huge fireplace that held a roaring fire. Harry took a step inside the room and looked up; thick wooden beams held up the cone that was the top of the tower it gave a robust yet elegant touch to the room.

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed taken aback, he had even dreamed of living this luxurious. In fact, he still had that Dursley gut feeling as if he was not allowed this, as if this was way too good for him.

"Knew you would like it!" Fleur said happily, "Wait till you see the bathroom, it's wonderful. Nancy and I usually celebrate our birthdays here."

Fleur pulled him along to show him the bathroom; it was in the same design as the prefects' bathroom but a little smaller and only made for two peoples at once while the prefects' bathroom was build to handle 12.

"Are you sure this is for us?" Harry asked, "I would have settled with a simple bedroom."

Fleur pecked his cheek, "You deserve the best Harry."

"I hope that's not why you are with me." Harry asked and realized how rude he had sounded, "Sorry Fleur didn't mean it like that. Let's go meet your aunt."

"All right let's just stash our stuff in the bedroom and we'll be off," said Fleur.

The bedroom was as magnificent as the two other rooms. It had the largest four-poster Harry had ever seen and in one corner of the room was another fireplace. They placed their bags on the bed and Fleur led their way down to Nancy Lyons office.

Fleur's smile got wider and wider for every step that brought her closer to her aunt's office, she was very happy to meet her aunt again. Harry felt a tangle of jealousy; he usually did when someone was happy to meet their relatives but that jealousy was quickly drowned by the fact that Fleur was happy. After all Fleur's happiness mattered more then his own. Fleur stopped in front of a door and straitened her robes before she knocked.

The door flung open, a second later and a very beautiful woman stood there. She was like Fleur tall, silver blond, slender yet curvy in a goddess sort of way. Harry knew that she had to be about thirty-five, but didn't look any older then thirty.

"Fleur!" Nancy exclaimed, threw her arms around her niece and started speaking in rapid French. Fleur answered with a string of equally rapid French.

Harry didn't have to know French however to be able to tell what they said. It was obvious both of them said how much they had missed each other and asked how they had been. After what seemed like several minutes they broke their hug and wiped tears from their happy faces.

"And you must be Harry?" Nancy greeted him with a hug and a kiss on each cheek. Harry did the same it came natural because Fleur often greeted him that way when Tonks
had been telling her that she needed to work on the kissing part of their relation ship.

"Nice too finally meet you Madam," said Harry politely.

"I wish I could have welcomed you when you arrived but I hopped to finish the fireworks before you got here," Nancy said, "And call me Nancy… come in I just have some ignition charms left to place."

Fleur had told him Nancy was charms Professor and also that the Charms Professor was responsible for the New Year Eve's fireworks.

"This is not dragon skin," Nancy told Fleur after a glance at Harry's cloak, "This is… is it green Graphorn hide? You finally managed a good coloring charm?"

"No," Fleur admitted, "I had Flitwick do it for me."

Nancy laughed, her laugh resembled Fleur's very much. "It's good you haven't changed too much," She said and pulled Harry inside by his shoulder, Fleur followed and closed the door after them.

"I met your parents, I don't know if Fleur told you but I was an exchange student in my fifth year, they were in their sixth," Nancy said as she started with the help of Fleur to place the final ignition charms on the fireworks that lay on Nancy's desk.

"Your mother was very nice she was very interested in my school and she helped me with homework."

Sirius, Remus or Hagrid had never really talked about his mother and the only things he knew about her was how she looked and that her first wand was made of willow and of course that she had been head girl and a Gryffindor. It was somehow strange how he could love and miss a woman so incredible much that he didn't even remember.

"You knew her well?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Rather good but of course we never kept in touch… well we wrote each other for a couple of month after I came back, but then she fell in love with your father and that took most of her time," Nancy said, "And I didn't have exactly much spare time in those days either."

"What was she like?" Fleur asked on Harry's behalf. Harry flashed Fleur a thankful smile he didn't feel like pressing Fleur's aunt for information about his mother, it wasn't the most polite thing to do right after they had met.

"Nice and caring a little bossy perhaps and very gifted with charms, just like your mother Fleur. She had a temper too, I remember once when she was yelling at Professor McGonagall I don't know if she still teaches…" Fleur nodded a yes and Nancy continued, "It was about something Snivellus or what ever his name was, we all hated him, anyway he had done something and McGonagall didn't punish him correctly or something."

"She yelled at McGonagall? That is almost as bad as yelling at Dumbledore," Harry stated without thinking.

"You didn't," Nancy said looking strait at Fleur, catching at once what Harry was getting at as if she had known him for years, "You did. Oh Fleur are you all right, why didn't you tell me?"

Fleur smiled guiltily, "Of course I'm all right, it was month ago… and besides he's used to veela temper, he knew Velvet."

"He did? Well I can't say I'm surprised everyone knows Dumbledore someway or another. He had me for tea a couple of times… well quite often actually I had a horrible temper back then and he usually helped me after my transformations." Nancy said, and Harry understood that Nancy like Fleur was rather upset afterwards.

Harry smiled fondly he couldn't help it. Nancy acted so much like Fleur and it was cute of them to think that anyone blamed them for being who they are. Especially Fleur, Harry thought, she had nothing to be ashamed of since she was very cute in her bird shape as well.

Nancy gave Harry a very dirty look as if he was making fun of her for being part veela.

This caused Harry to smile even wider even though he desperately tried no too, he just couldn't help himself Nancy was just too much like Fleur.

"Do you find it funny?" Nancy asked him calmly though Harry knew that he was treading on dangerous grounds.

"Yes I do," Harry said it was the thing he could think of to not make matters worse, "You two are so stupid."

"Stupid?" Nancy asked in a deadly calm voice. Fleur seemed to sense danger too but didn't interfere, she knew Harry could handle the situation.

"You knew Remus Lupin?" Harry asked he knew from enough experience with Fleur what he had to say to make Nancy calm down.

"Yes I knew Remus very well," Nancy said uncertainly and Harry knew that he had successfully avoided Nancy's veela temper. "He was really nice and understanding when I transformed, but he didn't really like me. He turned rather nasty in the end, but that's males, one moment nice… sorry Harry I didn't mean everyone just those I tent to end up with."

Harry was surprised by Nancy's sudden frankness but he supposed that she said much more then she had intended. She seemed happy her temper hadn't gotten the better of her, at least that would be the reason if her mind worked similar to Fleur's.

"Did you kiss him?" Fleur giggled.

"Once or twice perhaps I don't really remember," Nancy said trying to shrug the topic off.

"Liar!" Fleur exclaimed, "You never forget any interesting details."

Nancy smiled an embarrassed sort of smile, "All right we kissed quite a lot for a while… do you have contact with him, why did you ask if I knew him?"

"Well we have contact with him, we celebrated Christmas with him. Anyway he thinks much less of himself as well," said Harry.

"Why would he do that?" Nancy asked and then added, "And I don't think any less of myself."

It was somewhat scary how well Harry felt he knew Nancy at once. "Yes you do after your transformations."

"Has Fleur told you about that?" Nancy asked and looked at Fleur accusingly.

"No, but you said that Remus was understanding and Dumbledore asked you for tea afterwards so I just figured you are like Fleur and I know her well," Harry said and glanced fondly over at Fleur.

"You are too much like your mother for your own good," Nancy said seriously but with a smile. To Harry that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him and had to look down on the floor so that they wouldn't see the emotions that that sentence caused him too feel.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled, "Every ones says I'm like my father."

"No your not!" Nancy exclaimed, "You don't even look like him, well you got the hair and cheekbone perhaps. Take of your eyeglasses."

Harry did as she said and Nancy looked at him carefully, "No one can deny that you are Lily's son, you have parts of her nose and her forehead and her eyes of course."

Harry smiled widely and looked up at Nancy gratefully.

"Anyway why would Remus think any less of himself?" Nancy asked pocketing her wand and sat down in her chair.

"Well he probably wouldn't like me to tell you but it's not a secret anymore," Harry said awkwardly.

"He's a werewolf," Fleur added.

"Oh no poor Remi," Nancy said sympathetically, "Was he bitten recently?"

"No," Harry stated shortly, he wondered for a moment if Nancy might be mad at Remus for not telling her what he was if they were close enough to kiss.

"He has been a werewolf for a long time," said Fleur.

"When then, Right after Hogwarts?" Nancy asked looking over at Fleur for answers.

"While he was at Hogwarts?" Nancy added and then added in a whisper as Fleur's expression didn't change, "All along wasn't he," it was not a question.

Nancy sat speechless in her chair every now and then opening her mouth as if to say something and then closing it again as no words came out. Then her cheeks flushed and she looked very angry.

"You think you can just walk into my office and tell me that he was a werewolf all along just like that," Nancy hissed dangerously.

Harry and Fleur both took a step back and instinctively held hands.

"By the way," Nancy said sarcastically, "the boy you loved pushed you away because he was a werewolf and didn't want to hurt you."

"Please we had no idea," Fleur pleaded.

"I thought all these years that Remus didn't want to be with a PART HUMAN!" Nancy yelled angrily and started to sprout feathers, "I suppose you two thought just could pop in and fix us up again?"

"No please we are sorry we had no idea," Fleur apologized urgently.

"Like I would believe that! You spent Christmas with him and then you and your stupid boyfriend comes here and tells me how to live my life!" Nancy said continuing to sprout her feathers and wings.

"Harry is not stupid!" Fleur defended through gritted teeth.

Harry didn't really realize when things started to go really bad but before he knew it he was hiding in a corner of the room while Fleur and Nancy were throwing fire at each other. Fortunately, veela had a natural resistance to fire and couldn't really harm each other too badly. They were shouting things in France at each other and Harry had a feeling that they brought up every disagreement they ever had.

Finally, Harry decided that he couldn't hide like this for one thing they would both feel very bad when this was over and they knew they had scared him. He hoped that the ministry wouldn't argue with him if he used magic, he was in a school after all.

"Ignisgelutus," Harry said firmly and waved his wand at himself, he hoped that the flame freezing charm would work with veela fire. He knew what he would have to do, he would have to grab hold of Fleur and hope that Nancy would turn back if Fleur did. With a few quick steps, Harry stood in front of Fleur blocking the fire they threw at each other with ease. Fleur managed to dodge his first attempt of catching her and whirled another fireball at Nancy.

He had never seen Fleur this far transformed before; she didn't seem to be human at all any more and he wouldn't even have believed it was Fleur had she not had her blue eyes. Harry made another launch for her and caught her around the middle. Fleur fought him much harder then she had ever had before, she tried to scratch his back with her talons but since still had his cloak on he hardly noticed.

He held her so tight that he could feel her heart beating violently through all of their clothes. Fleur continued to fight him for a whole minute but to no avail. Harry was much stronger and had a firm grip on her.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that, Wingbeat," Fleur finally whispered.

"I love you too" Harry replied. He could tell that Nancy had transformed back as well since a fireball had not hit him in the back for quite some time.

"I should have warned you, this always happens when veela get together. It's just that I don't like to think of myself as a veela even though I am."

"You are not a veela, you are a part veela," Harry corrected.

"Not when it comes to fighting." Fleur said, looking away guiltily.

"You don't have to be a veela for that," Harry stated forcing her to look at him by turning her head with his hand, "I told you what I did to my dear aunt Marge."

"But that's the different she was horrible, Nancy isn't. Veela live in large groups and it's a natural of way of determining who the leader is just like wolves or lions. It's instinct, I just get so very angry and I can help it." Fleur explained sadly.

"So who's the leader?" Harry asked.

"Oh that's not it, we had our fight now our veela parts won't bother us again," Fleur said, "At least not for another year or something it's more often if you are a pure veela."

"I bet you would be the leader if you lived like a veela," Harry said fondly.

Fleur smiled at him.

"Are you two okay?" Nancy asked from across the room she had slumped down in her chair exhausted.

"Yeah," Fleur replied and Harry led go of her, settling with holding hands.

"I'm sorry if I burned any of you," Nancy apologized to both of them.

"No problem" Harry said smiling reassuringly.

"Good," Nancy said and smiled back, "Not many males do what you did."

"Well my first real friend was a bird and rather short tempered as well," Harry said to ease the mood, "Perhaps there is something with me that makes me like feisty birds."

"Now that's something you father would have said, though I never really knew him but he was hard not to hear," Nancy said, "I don't want to sound rude but I never understood what she saw in him, she was so much better then him."

"They say he matured a lot in his seventh year," Harry said.

"Yes I suppose, and he was faithful," Nancy said, "It was quite funny all the things he did to get her attention and then she would just say no anyway."

"Yeah," Harry said remembering his short trip down in Snape's memories.

"Oh it's dinner," Nancy said glancing over at a grandfather clock, "I'll tell you more about your mum over some food and a glass of wine."

The halls and corridors of Beauxbaton were very much like Hogwarts but instead of suits of armor, there were potted plants. The corridors were not quite as big and impressive and there was probably not half as many secret passages here. Moreover, Harry was certain that there was nothing even remotely like a Chamber of Secrets in this castle. It just don't hold with the atmosphere. They turned a corner and almost ran into four girls in their early teens.

"Pardon Madam Lyon," One of the girls said and then took a step back as she realized that Fleur and Harry was there two.

"Fleur," The girl stated in a way of a greeting, though it sounded rather rude. The other three girls didn't even seem to notice Fleur or Nancy they were gawping at Harry's scar.

"Hello," Harry said hoping they knew enough English to reply, if they wanted.

"Are you 'Arrey Potter?" One of the girls managed.

"Yes," Harry stated and tried to smile as the-boy-who-lived was expected to. The four girls started chatting so rapidly in France that Harry doubted that even Fleur or Nancy could understand them.

"Apparently you are very cute and a bit taller then expected," Fleur whispered in Harry's ear, "And they never expected you too actually have emerald eyes," The girls burst out in giggles, "humph… that would make you blush."

"Even more you mean," Harry muttered back, he already felt his cheeks burning.

"Can we 'ave your autograph?" One of the girls asked holding out quill and parchment.

"Sure," Harry replied swallowing his dislike for autographs bitterly, "Do you want one each?"

"Yes please!" The girl replied and Harry scribbled his name as neatly he could for times on the parchment.

"There you go," Harry said and handed the quill and parchment back, "Now we must be off for dinner."

"You are staying the night?" The girl asked eagerly.

"Yes," Harry replied, normally he wouldn't mind a polite conversation but the fact that they only noticed him because of his scare made him want to run so he fought extra hard to keep his smile on.

"Is Delacour your girlfriend?" The girl pressed on with out of a trace of embarrassment.

"Yes," Harry said and decided to do the thing properly added, "And I love her very much."

The four girls mumbled something and gave Fleur very dirty glares. Nancy must have caught some of it because she seemed to give them sort of punishment and they scattered.

"You did well," Fleur commented, "I don't think anyone of those will be death eaters."

"All thanks to me," Harry said sarcastically, "Why did you think I would blush anyway?"

"Nothing they just joked around like girls do they seemed to know you didn't understand French though," Fleur said.

"What did they say?" Harry pressed on.

"Well if you really want to find out whether you would blush or not," Fleur asked teasingly.

"If you didn't want me to know you shouldn't have said that I would blush," Harry stated firmly.

"All right then," Fleur said grinning widely, "They figured you were well experienced and probably the best male around for… well sins."

Harry blushed.

"I take that you don't want to hear the rest of it?" Fleur asked.

"No I rather not, besides I can imagine," said Harry.

"Got a dirty mind now saint Gryffindor?" Fleur teased.

Nancy cleared her throat; they had both completely forgotten that they were not alone as usual when they were teasing. Harry had never blushed so badly in his life. He could feel Fleur's veela powers radiating embarrassment he hoped that Nancy wouldn't notice them.

"I'm afraid we don't have an enchanted ceiling here in Beauxbaton," Nancy said breaking the very awkward silence.

"Oh," Harry said catching on to the offered subject, "But you do receive owls over breakfast?"

"Yes, but not so often we usually get our owls direct to our dormitories before breakfast," Fleur said.

Harry noticed that there were seven tables for students and one staff table placed as in Hogwarts in front of the others when he entered the great hall of Beauxbaton. He knew they didn't have houses so he supposed that each table were for each year though now all students sat along the middle table since most of them had gone home. At the staff table sat Madam Maxime and the rest of the Beauxbaton staff chatting happily.

Nancy cleared her throat loudly and got Madam Maxime's attention. Harry groaned inwardly when Maxime stood up apparently ready to give a speech.

"Attention everyone!" Maxime said loudly, "We have over the New Year a very special guest may I introduce Mr. Harry Potter."

Silence fell so quickly at these words that it almost felt as if a Dementors had attacked. Harry searched after a happy memory to conjure a corporal smile, he settled for him looking like his mother, and managed a wide smile and to top it off he waved at the students. He hoped that they wouldn't think of him as some kind of Lockhart.

"Can I stop?" Harry hissed through his smiling mouth to Fleur.

Fleur giggled slightly, "Sure now follow us up to the staff table."

After several introductions to all of the teachers, Harry was directed to a chair by the younger part veela and sat down.

"Finally some real food," Fleur said hungrily and sat down next to him. "The house elves in Hogwarts are great but they just don't know what food is supposed to be like."

"Have you told them that?" Harry asked, knowing she hadn't.

"No are you crazy? I wouldn't get anything but bouillabaisse" Fleur exclaimed.

Harry did not agree with what Fleur thought of real food it was perhaps their greatest difference in personality, though they both liked the wine that was served.

"So what else can you tell me about my mum?" Harry asked he felt a little light headed due to the great tasting wine.

"What do you want to know?" Nancy replied.

"Anything I practically don't know anything about her besides what you told me," Harry admitted feeling very guilty that he hadn't researched her more.

Nancy ate in silence for a minute before she opened her mouth, "I remember once when we were practicing the patronus charm. It was above our level but since we both were best in our years at charms, we thought it would be fun to see what shapes they took. We were having loads of fun and we where rather giggly because I had just kissed Remus for the first time."

It was another couple seconds before Nancy continued, "She offered to put us in detention together if we wanted some privacy, she always played strictly by the rules except when it came to love. But she didn't have to, Remus and his friends knew the school better then everyone else. Anyway we were giggling a lot and I used the memory off me kissing Remus and managed a unicorn, the same as Fleur's. Your mum tried loads of happy memories, the fact that she was a witch, her being made a prefect and her friends. Lily was a happy girl, so she had trouble settling for the happiest memory. She wouldn't tell me what her happy memory was when she finally managed to conjure her patronus but she made me promise never to tell anyone what shape it was, I never figured out why it had to be such a secret but she did seemed very embarrassed about it."

Harry sat staring with a stupid grin on his face.

"I suppose you don't have any idea of why she would be embarrassed about a deer?" Nancy asked.

Fleur burst out giggling, "She already loved him!"

"Who?" Nancy asked taking a sip of wine.

"Lily. She already loved James!" Fleur replied, "James, Sirius and that Peter became animagi to keep Remus company when it was full moon."

"But that's dangerous!" Nancy exclaimed, "They could have died all of them! The animagi transformation is very dangerous."

"They did anyway didn't they?" Harry asked sadly.

There was an awkward silence that Fleur broke after a few moments, "Well anyway Harry has the same patronus as Lily and that is because it's James's animagus form."

They spent the rest of the evening in Harry and Fleur's room talking in front of the huge blazing fire about what had happened to Sirius and Pettigrew they also carefully mentioned that Remus has been very lonely ever since Sirius died. Nancy left them around midnight and Harry and Fleur remained sitting in the couch. Fleur crawled over to him and lay down in his arms; Harry leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Can you feel it?" Fleur asked.

"Yeah, he's lonely," Harry replied.

"We have to ask the house elves for herbs or perhaps we can buy some from Madam Pedone she's the care of magical creature teacher," Fleur said tiredly and yawned.

"We forgot to mention Vertex," Harry said, "Nancy will be proud."

"She's the best without her I would probably be another slut in Paris with a horrible job and loads of horrible lovers that only liked me for the way I looked," Fleur said as she slowly started drifting off to sleep.

"I bet you could get a really nice guy that only loved you for the way you look," Harry joked sleepily. He could tell that Fleur smiled but was too tired to come up with a reply.

Harry felt the fire radiating warmth, he could feel Fleur's slow, even breathing and somewhere in his mind he felt the presence of Vertex. He thought briefly of all the new stuff he had found out about his mum and felt a smile creeping over his face as he fell into peaceful sleep.

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A veela fight, isn't that wonderful?