Across the fields of mourning to a light that's in the distance

Five

Bill came with Fleur to St Mungo's on the day of her test.

"You'll be fine," he told her. "Just don't panic about the spelling. Some English spelling is impossible even for English people."

Fleur managed a small smile. "I don't think that ees as reassuring as you think it ees, chéri," she said.

She hated this, hated having to jump through hoops before she could get on and start her training, but St Mungo's had insisted.

"Anyone for whom English is not their first language must prove their proficiency in it before they start their training, Mrs Weasley," the rather stern Healer who had interviewed her explained. "Your qualifications from Beauxbatons are excellent, and I have no doubt that you are motivated and hard-working and will make an excellent Healer, but we need to confirm that your English is up to scratch. I'm sure you understand."

Fleur did understand, on one level. If she was a patient, she wouldn't want a Healer who couldn't communicate properly with her. But she still found it frustrating and a little frightening. After nearly three years in England, her spoken English was good, and she understood nearly all of what was said to her, even if some of the English idioms and odd turns of phrase confused her. But she still struggled with written English, especially the spelling.

She had barely two weeks between her interview and the English test, and she worked at grammar and spelling every minute that she could, and had Bill test her on it every evening.

Now it was the day, and she was – scared. What if she failed this and had to give up her plans? Of course, there were Healer programmes in France, but moving back to France would mean Bill giving up his job and moving away from his family. She knew that he would if she asked him to, now that the war was over. But she could not ask him to, not after Fred. So she had to pass this.

"You'll be fine, love," Bill said, giving her a hug and another kiss. "And we'll go out tonight to celebrate, eh?"

"Zey will not give me ze results until ze end of ze week," she objected. "So even eef I 'ave passed I will not know."

He smiled at her. "You'll pass. And we'll celebrate your freedom from that blessed grammar book, if nothing else. I'll see you later. Bonne chance, chérie."

She smiled a little wanly up at him and watched as he walked away. Then she squared her shoulders and went into the hospital.

As it turned out, the dreaded test was not too bad. She was sure she had some spellings wrong in the written part, and she got hopelessly lost over one part of the listening comprehension, but the spoken part was easy, and even enjoyable.

"So, you think you've passed?" Bill asked her that evening over dinner at Carlino's at the end of Diagon Alley.

"I theenk so," she said. "Or maybe I just 'ope so. Eet was not as bad as I 'ad expected."

"So next week you'll be a trainee Healer," he said, smiling. "Exciting? Or scary?"

Fleur laughed. "A bit of both, I think. Mostly I am excited and keen to get on weeth eet. Are you sure you do not mind, Bill?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. Why on earth should I mind? I want you to be happy, and I'm proud of you."

She reached across the table and took his hand, tracing the scars on the back of it absent-mindedly with her finger.

"Eet means zat we weell 'ave to wait a while before we sink about 'aving a baby," she said. "Do you mind zat?"

"Oh Fleur," he said. "I knew you were worried about something. Was that it? We have heaps of time to have babies. We've not even been married a year, and we're not exactly old."

"You are nearly thirty," she pointed out sweetly.

"Have a heart! I'm not even twenty-eight yet!" Bill objected. "Cheeky wench!"

"What ees 'wench?"

"A young woman. But you've passed your English test now, you don't need to worry about word definitions."

"No," she said solemnly. "I shall refuse to learn any new Eenglish words ever again."

She laughed and so did he. It was a good evening. It was good to remember that they were young and in love and right at the beginning of a new life. There should be more days like this one.