Author's Note: So so so sorry for not updating sooner! I was vacationing in the US of A for a month so I didn't have any time to update! Anyway, I don't think there'll be any Fleur and Viktor confrontation in this chapter. Maybe in the next one though. This one is about Fleur for a while. Hope you enjoy it, please don't give up on me, my wonderful reviewers! I will finish this story! XD hahaha…

Chapter 4: Rose petals

"Fleur, have you seen my brush?"

"No, Gabrielle." Fleur said dully.

"Well, it was here a minute ago. And now it's gone!" Gabrielle said frantically searching for her brush. She crouched down at the bottom of her dresser and started to fling a variety of clothes and sheets.

Her jumper flew across the room and landed at Fleur's feet. Sighing, Fleur picked the jumper up and folded it neatly on Gabrielle's bed.

"Gabrielle, it'll turn up soon. Why are you so worried about it? It's just a brush!" Fleur said to her sister.

"But that was my favorite…" Gabrielle groaned standing up and pulling drawers out.

Fleur rolled her eyes and went over to her own dresser. Maybe she, herself, should start packing. She pulled her trunk out from under her dresser and laid it open across the wooden floor.

As Fleur pulled out the first drawer, she realized that… she didn't want to pack. She didn't want to leave Hogwarts. It'd been more than a home to her for the past year. She'd made so many new friends… Met so many new people… Learned a million new things…

She sighed and began to pack her robes.

She had reached the bottom of her dresser when her fingers touched something light and gauzy. Pulling the dress out of the drawer, Fleur realized that it was the beautiful silver robe that she'd worn to the Yule ball. She smiled and held it to her chest. It was soft and felt like silk to her skin.

She remembered what a grand time she had with this dress… Laughing with her friends… Dancing under the luminous moon, out on the dock… With who was it again? Oh, right… Viktor…

A bitter taste formed in Fleur's mouth… Viktor…

She sat slumped on the floor and remembered how she'd told Roger Davies that she was going to the bathroom… But she and Viktor had really planned to meet near the lake. Viktor had said goodnight to the Hermione girl as well. They sat on the grass making small talk for a few moments. And when Viktor stood up and asked her to dance, she'd happily agreed. So they danced together on the dock, holding each other close until midnight had finally come and everyone was retreating to their dormitories.

Tears formed at the back of Fleur's eyes… But she blinked them away and threw the dress into her suitcase. She reached into the dresser once more and pulled out the hairpiece that she'd worn with the dress. She threw that into the suitcase as well.

She looked into the drawer to see if she'd forgotten anything. Her fingers scraped the hard wood of the dresser as she felt around for something…

"Ow!" Fleur yelped.

"Did you find my brush?" Gabrielle asked.

"No." Fleur groaned clutching her injured finger.

Fleur cursed and leaned against the dresser still clutching her now bleeding finger. She grabbed her wand from the floor and muttered a quick healing spell.

Fleur crouched over the dresser to find the thing that had pricked her.

"There you are, you stupid little…"

Fleur cradled the rose between her forefinger and her thumb.

A million memories flashed back in her mind.

"Fleur?"

"Hmm?" Fleur said, not moving her head from its place on Viktor's broad shoulder.

"Fleur, it's midnight."

"Oh…"

Fleur looked up into Viktor's deep hazel eyes.

"Has time really gone by this fast?" she asked.

"Time just can't move any slower." Viktor smiled at her.

"Can't we stay for just a little bit longer?" Fleur pleaded with him.

"I wish we could," Viktor said with sad eyes. "But people are beginning to come outside and we can't be seen with each other."

Fleur nodded, understandingly. She didn't want to leave but she knew Viktor had a point. What would people say when they saw two of the four TriWizard Champions together? They would gossip. And what would Madame Maxime say?

"Those who compete with you are not your friends." Maybe. Probably.

Fleur smiled up at Viktor. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Viktor chuckled.

He untangled his arms from around her. "But till then," he made a curt little bow and pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a beautiful red rose with a silver ribbon tied elegantly around the stem.

Fleur's fingers tingled as she took the rose from Viktor. She knew what it meant. Viktor had often referred to himself as a rose that was different from all the others. He wasn't the person everyone thought he was. He was so much more.

"Till then," she agreed. And her walk back to the Beauxbatons carriage was no more than a daze.

Under her breath, Fleur whispered, "Good night, my rose."

"Fleur, are you alright?" Gabrielle asked moving closer towards her sister.

"Yes…" Fleur smiled up at her sister and sniffled. She hadn't realized the tears that had begun to trickle down her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" Gabrielle asked worriedly. Fleur was proud to have a sister like her.

"Yes, I'm sure, Gabrielle." Fleur assured her. "I think I need to go outside for a while, though…"

Fleur got up from her spot on the floor and walked out of the Beauxbatons carriage with the rose in her hands.

She walked silently across the grounds, until she reached the edge of the Black Lake. It looked so calm. There weren't even any ripples on the water.

Fleur let more tears fall from her eyes. She didn't care what they meant anymore. Tears that she had held back for the past few days were pouring out and she felt good about it.

She wiped her cheeks with her sleeve and looked out across the lake. The Durmstrang ship was floating far away. A lump rose in her throat.

She tried her best to hold back tears that were threatening to burst.

Figures were moving across the ship's deck. For a while, Fleur watched them doing all sorts of things. Tying knots, fixing masts…

Then, she saw him.

Viktor Krum, on the ship's deck, looking straight at her with sad hazel eyes. Fleur's tears fell again. She forced herself to be strong.

She lifted her hand that clutched the rose and brought it to her eyes. Her tears fell on the flower and slid off the petals and dropped down into the lake making circles in the water.

Then slowly, one by one, she picked off the petals on the rose. With each petal that she tore from it, it felt like she was releasing pain… releasing her anger…

At last, Fleur dropped the last petal into the water and they floated across the Black Lake. Before she thrust the stem into the water, she peeled off the silver ribbon and crammed it into her pocket.

She took one last look at the man standing on the ship's deck… One last look at the man who had taught her everything, yet had made her so confused.

"Goodbye, Viktor…" she whispered. "Goodbye, my rose."

Viktor swayed on his spot on the ship's deck. Fleur was standing at the edge of the lake. She looked like an angel… With her silvery hair flowing gracefully with the wind…

He watched as she slowly lifted her hand and dropped several pieces of something into the water. Then Fleur took one last look at him and walked away.

Viktor swore that he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.

But… What was that thing she was holding?

Viktor craned his neck to see Fleur disappear back into the Beauxbatons carriage. Then something scarlet caught his eye on the surface of the Black Lake below. The things that Fleur had dropped into the water had floated across the lake.

Viktor leaned over the ship to see them more clearly.

Then he saw them…

Rose petals…

Viktor understood.

"I am but a thorn on a rose's stem… nothing more…" Viktor whispered. "Goodbye, Fleur. I'm sorry…"

A/N: hahaha…. I had fun with this chapter… so please R&R! and once again I'm sorry for not updating sooner! XD Till next time!

Oh yeah…

"Psssst" dedicated to my reviewer "person56" who was so hyper this afternoon and wouldn't eat anything, hahaha… XD