"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle."
Francis of Assisi
HogwartsSchool of Witchcraft and Wizardry
/I can't believe this!/ Fleur Delacour stated sulkily, as she was quite found of doing, as she walked with her classmates to breakfast at the Hogwarts Great Hall from their sleeping quarters in the giant carriage.
/How am I to find a date to the ball if I know so few of the people here? And I, dare I say so, do not wish to go to the ball with any of the available people from our own school./ Although, the students from Beauxbatons had known about the Yule Ball since before they had left for Hogwarts, the formal announcement and date had just be given the night before to all the students. The sudden panic of finding a date and what to wear and how to fix their hair had fallen over the students (or, at the very least, the female population).
Isabelle, her best friend, nodded, her chocolate-colored hair shining in the light, in agreement as they passed by the head table to go towards where they ate at the Ravenclaw table. /I don't like having to stay here over the break. I wish I could see my family for Christmas./ Isabelle had always been close to her family.
/And I have to figure out the clue for the golden egg soon or Madame will have to help me again and that would be embarrassing. I should be able to figure this out by myself at least once./
They were just walking towards the doors into the Great Hall when a tall, gangly redheaded boy that Fleur vaguely remembered from the welcoming feast at the table with the dish she'd asked for walked up to her and Isabelle. "Um, hi." He was blushing a flaming scarlet red.
"'Ello, how may I 'elp you?" Fleur asked, although she already suspected what he was going to ask her. He'd be the seventeenth person to ask her since the Yule Ball was announced.
"Er, I'm Ron, Ron Weasley and uh, I was wondering if—would you l-like to go to the b-ball with me?" His face started to look like a giant flame ball.
Isabelle muffled her giggles behind her hands and Fleur frowned. "I am sorry; Ron, but I already have gotten a date pour ze ball."
"Really?" Ron started to look at her dreamily again. "Perhaps at the next ball or something, maybe?"
"Ah, non." Fleur stated. "I am most sorry but I do not believe that that vill be 'appening." She turned and glared at Isabelle who had now started to snort into her amidst her gasping laughs.
"Ah, um, okay." He turned quickly and hurriedly left, almost running out of sight.
Finally, Fleur started giggling, turning to her friend. /We probably should not be laughing. It is very rude, you do know. Not proper at all./ However, they couldn't stop.
/Did you see how red he became though?/ Isabelle asked. "So, who iz thiz man you are going to ze ball with? I have not 'eard of 'im at all."
Just then a voice asked from behind them, "So you already have a date, Fleur?" Both French girls turned around to see Cedric Diggory standing there with one of his best friends, Cho Chang.
"Er," Fleur smiled sheepishly and blushed to a slight pink at being caught making fun of someone (something, she tried not to do too much), "non. But I did not vish to 'urt his feelings by just saying no. This vay, he vill think that perhaps he may have a chance one day."
"Oh, I, um…" Cedric turned and stared plaintively at Cho who just laughed faintly and smiled a wry smile as she motioned for Isabelle to follow her a safe distance away from their two friends.
Cedric turned and watched to make sure that his friend had taken away the only other would-be witness around the area by them, in a rather secluded area off of the entrance to the Great Hall. "Will you give me the great pleasure of being your date to the Yule Ball?" he asked, in a way you would expect from dashing duke from a romance story.
Fleur giggled slightly and frowned in mock pensiveness but then smiled joyfully. "Oui." She liked Cedric, he didn't seem to be so much fascinated by her part-Veela attraction but rather just be her. It was something very rare for her to experience.
Isabelle smiled at her pretty (still blushing) pink friend from a few yards away. "Oh, that iz just adorable. Fleur 'as never been so attracted to anyone before I believe."
"Yeah," Cho said, sighing wistfully at her best friend. "They'd make a great couple. Better than he and I would ever be any day."
Isabelle started slightly as she looked at Cho. "You are interested in your friend?"
Cho just smiled. "We've always gone to balls and such together when we haven't had a date. I guess I've just always wished that we would be more. I guess I've always known that it would never happen."
She looked over to where Cedric had just kissed Fleur on the cheek. "Never would happen."
Almost two months later in the great hall at Beauxbatons, Narya flew in bearing another letter from Fleur at Hogwarts. /Oh, it seems as if Fleur has completely fallen for the English boy!/ Gabrielle laughed as she read the note from her older sister to Lucian. /She goes into a full blown description of him. Warm chestnut hair, hooded grey eyes, tall structure, beautiful face…/
Lucian stopped eating dinner long enough to ask, /Really? I figured that it was only a matter of time. What's his name again? Isn't it Charlie or something of that sort?/
/His name is Cedric Diggory. He's the Hogwarts champion, which suggests that he's talented and powerful. He's also the one who told Fleur how to figure out the golden egg and took her to the Yule Ball. This shows that he's fair and that he genuinely likes our sister. I think that he might be a good match for her. Of course, we along with mummy and dad must meet him first./
/Oh, yes quite right. Has she figured out what will be taken from her yet?/ Lucian asked as he multitasked; eating and reading a book about magical theory. Lucian had always been fascinated by the studies in school. It had always been something that always seemed to slightly offend his younger sister, who was one of those that liked to procrastinate all studying until the last minute. /And have you finished your transfiguration homework. I won't tell you all the answers this time in the theory section./
/Yes, I've completed my homework, Luc. And no. Fleur still has been able to find out what is to be taken from her./
Just then an official looking owl dropped off two letters before Lucian and Gabrielle. Gabrielle picked up the letter, /Well, this is odd. We never receive letters from strangers./
Lucian put down his book, marking the page. /Who is it from?/
Gabrielle opened the letter and started to read. /The letter is from the Triwizard Tournament Committee asking us to come to Hogwarts and to not inform Fleur./
A week later found Lucian and Gabrielle inside the rather crowded headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. There seemed to be a lot of discussion and arguing going on between the people all crowded inside the room. The other occupants of the room included the three heads of the schools. Among the rest were Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Hermione Granger, and Cho Chang.
/I do not understand, Madame. What are we doing here?/ Gabrielle asked Madame Maxime quietly in French in corner of the room. /The letter that was sent to use was usually vague and gave me no sort of clue about what we are doing here right now. Are we only here to show support for Fleur?/ She looked around the room at all the other witches and wizards. /Why were known of the other families allowed to come? And where are mum and dad?/
/It is a bit obvious to me what we are doing here./ Lucian interrupted. He had also been gazing quietly at the occupants of the room and trying to translate everything they were saying.
/Oh,/ his sister asked indignantly. /What reason is that, oh wise one?/
/One of us is obviously going to be the 'thing' that Fleur misses most. Is that not right, Madame Maxime?/ Lucian turned and asked his headmistress.
/Quite correct./ Madame Maxime stated, gazing proudly at one of her prize pupils. The Delacours had always been star students of her's.
/So which one of us is it to be?/ Gabrielle asked.
/And how long are we allowed to stay here? Can we be under some special circumstance being that I haven't seen anyone from a foreign school as the missed person here other than us two? May we be allowed to stay at Hogwarts for the school year with Fleur?/ Lucian interjected, attempting at any chance to be able to grasp onto this once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad at Hogwarts while their older sister was also there.
/Your parents have requested it. They believe that it is important for all three of you all to experience life outside of France before graduating./ Madame Maxime stated. /So I must say, welcome to Hogwarts!/
"Well, this is what I would call a boring task. All we do is sit and stare at the lake until the champions come up for air?"
"Apparently."
"What a stupid idea and waste of time. I could be doing something so much more important right now."
A group of fourth year Slytherin students were sitting in the stands during the second task. Draco Malfoy was among them. "So who are all the champions supposed to bring up again?"
"Diggory's hostage is his best friend, that Ravenclaw seeker, Chang. Krum's that know-it-all Granger and Delacour's hostage is her little sister. However, her brother is supposed to be here somewhere too from what I've heard."
Blaise Zabini craned his neck, searching through the crowd trying to find the elusive younger brother. "Oh, where is he? If his sister's looks are anything to go by I'd say he's bloody gorgeous. I wonder is he blond? What color are his eyes? Does he like the timid type? Or the bold, outspoken type? Or…"
"Oh, do shut up now, Blaise. Although, I must admit you do have a point. I hope the brother is gorgeous." Pansy Parkinson interjected. "I think, Blaise, that it's highly unlikely that he's a homosexual like you."
"I am not gay," Blaise retorted, huffily. "I just happen to appreciate beauty wherever seen and don't concentrate on gender. Draco shares that opinion, don't you?" He asked, turning towards his best friend.
"If I didn't, I certainly would now," Draco stated as he caught sight of a pair of emerald green eyes looking in his general direction. And then their gazes locked and Draco stated, so softly his friends could barely hear, "Oh, yes, I definitely share that opinion now." Emerald eyes smiled at him before turning away to talk once again to one of the French students beside him.
Gregory Goyle turned to try to see who Draco was still staring towards. "Who are you looking at, Draco?" he asked.
"I'd wager he's looking at that gorgeous bloke in the Beauxbatons section." Blaise said. "I've never seen him before. Reckon he's the brother?"
"What bloke?" Millicent asked also searching, practically standing up in her seat to see.
"The one with the beanie (don't know if they're called that in Europe on with black hair sticking out, green eyes, light blue shirt, jeans, and the blue robe."
"He's dashing." Pansy said. "I'd reckon he's good enough for our little Drakie."
"Or me!" Blaise interjected while staring after Lucian. "He's absolutely bloody gorgeous."
"Unfortunately, guys like him are always taken by some stupid, vapid witch that doesn't have the brains to fill half a tea cup." Pansy stated.
"Doesn't that just annoy the magic out of you?" Millicent asked and she and Pansy started off on one of those girl rants.
Draco just kept gazing at the boy in the Beauxbatons section of the stands.
End Chapter Two
Hello! Anyways, my computer's all fixed now. None of the spyware remover stuff worked. I had to reboot everyone. But it's all good.
An extra note: I've started a livejournal whose link should be found on my bio page listed as my homepage.
Hello! Anyways, my computer's all fixed now. None of the spyware remover stuff worked. I had to reboot everyone. But it's all good. Also does anyone know why the sideways carrot keys (that I'd used to denote French in previous chapters) won't show anymore?
An extra note: I've started a livejournal whose link should be found on my bio page listed as my homepage.