The Problem with Veela
Chapter Nine: A Very French Weekend
Harry walked up and down outside the Beauxbatons carriage, his pace reflecting the speed his mind was processing his thoughts. He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. That was the last thing he needed right now, a sharp pain in his head. Harry thought back to the conversation he had had earlier with Ron and Hermione. Neither of them had been that much help. Ron had suggested drinking an entire cauldron of confidence potion but as Hermione had pointed out, the side effect of that potion was that you become extremely philosophical. Harry didn't fancy babbling about the meaning of life in front of Fleur, let alone in front of her parents.
He had eventually decided that neither of his friends were of any help and given that no one else knew about the life debt, Harry had resorted to simply being himself and trying not to embarrass himself too badly. It had gone well so far. Granted, he was alone, outside, waiting for Sebastian and Fleur to arrive but he hadn't forgotten anything. So that was a good start. In one hand he held his Firebolt, as per Fleur's request. In the other was a small rucksack that contained his nicest Muggle clothes, a spare pair of underwear and socks, his toothbrush and a few old bits of parchment. It was only one night and he didn't expect to need a full suit but he wanted to make a good impression nevertheless.
The door handle clicked and it swung open, revealing Sebastian in a long, grey overcoat that complimented his hair. He smiled and nodded at Harry, which the Gryffindor returned. Behind him came his daughter. Fleur followed Sebastian out of the carriage with grace and elegance. She beamed at Harry and gave him a hug. Harry felt his cheeks go slightly warm as he felt her chest press against his. 'Come on Potter, keep it together.' He chastised himself, evidently displeased with himself. Fleur released him from the embrace and gestured towards the direction that Sebastian was walking in. The two teenagers caught up to him quickly, before falling into stride behind him. They walked down the path to the gates in rather subdued silence, but Harry and Fleur kept catching each other's eyes and grinning at one another. Their hands brushed twice while walking and both times Harry's heart had skipped a beat. He was unsure what to do, he had never felt this way before. He had faced Voldemort three times in his life yet he felt way more nervous walking next to Fleur than he had when Quirrell removed his turban. Mentally shaking himself, Harry stopped next to the French witch as Sebastian had also paused as they had reached the gates. After a brief moment, the rusting iron creaked and swung open. Sebastian smirked. Another win against Albus and one he didn't even need to fight with him over.
The three of them walked through the now open gate and it closed behind them with an obnoxious clanging noise. Sebastian walked for a few meters before turning to the two teenagers.
"Harry, have you ever apparated?"
Harry shook his head. Sebastian nodded, the answer confirming his suspicions.
"I thought you may have not. Well, it is not a pleasant experience for the first time. Do not worry, it will be fast but you will feel as if you are being pulled through a tube."
Harry didn't like the sound of that but placed his hand on Sebastian's forearm when instructed to do so. Fleur put her hand on her father's other arm, clearly experienced when it came to this form of magical travel.
"Ready?" Sebastian asked. Harry nodded. He felt a twisting motion and then a horrible feeling of being stretched out and compressed at the same time. Harry could feel his chest being squashed and his glasses being pressed into the bridge of his nose. Closing his eyes, he prayed it would be over soon. His wish came quickly. With a loud crack the three of them emerged into sunlight. Harry doubled over, gasping for breath. Sebastian patted him on the back, a small smile on his face.
"Are you alright?" He said to the Gryffindor. Harry nodded and gestured that he just needed a minute.
"Yup, all good. I think I'd prefer brooms." Harry said, once he had gotten his breath back. Sebastian chuckled.
"Well you can show us how well you fly later on." He said, referring to the Firebolt that was clutched in Harry's right hand. Harry grinned and nodded, he loved any excuse to fly.
Once he had regained his composure, Harry stood up and surveyed the grand French house in front of him. Compared to Hogwarts, it was small. But compared to Privet Drive, it was like Buckingham Palace. The sandy coloured stone coupled with the grey slate roof gave it an elegant look and the whole house stood with a certain grace. Harry stopped his jaw from dropping and managed to get a hold of himself and followed Fleur and Sebastian, who had both started down the path towards the large oak front door. Harry jogged at first but slowed down once he got close to them.
"You have a very, for want of a better word, nice house Mr Delacour." Harry said politely. He mentally berated himself for not coming up with a better adjective. Sebastian smiled and looked back at him.
"Yes, you do have a very nice house Harry." he replied, "Do not forget that this is also your home too."
Harry smiled shyly at the French wizard, still feeling slightly overwhelmed by it all. Fleur placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to her. Blue eyes met green and warmth passed between the two of them, allowing Harry to relax a bit more.
Sebastian meanwhile had turned back to the large door and knocked twice. After a brief moment it was opened by another stunning witch. Her silvery blonde hair was longer than Fleur's and she was slightly shorter but Harry could tell exactly where Fleur's looks came from. However, he didn't have much time to think about it as a sudden force round his middle pushed him off balance. With one hand holding his broom, it was much harder to steady himself and he gave a look of gratitude to Fleur as she grabbed him and propped him back upright. Sebastian, Fleur's mother and Fleur herself were all laughing heartily at Harry's surprise attacker. He looked down to see the blonde head of Fleur's younger sister Gabrielle. She looked up at him with a huge smile plastered across her face. Harry grinned toothily back at her. "Hey, how are you Gabrielle?"
She pouted at the foreign language, evidently disappointed that Harry couldn't speak any French.
"Parlez-vous français?" She said. Sebastian looked apologetically at Harry. He wordlessly cast a spell and then gestured to Gabrielle. Harry looked at him, slightly puzzled but answered Gabrielle anyway.
"Uhm, no I don't speak much French, sorry." He said to the younger Delacour sister. Gabrielle looked confused as in her mind he had spoken perfectly in French. Sebastian, looking rather bemused, came to Harry's aid and explained.
"I cast a quick translation charm. Anything you say will be heard in French or English, depending on which language someone would prefer. And vice versa. I just told you this in French but I imagine you heard it in English."
Harry nodded, grateful for the explanation. Sebastian smiled at the teenager before looking down at Gabrielle.
"Gabby, release our guest." He instructed, "Now." He added rather firmly as Gabrielle clearly did not want to let go of Harry. With a pout, she loosened her tight hold around Harry's middle and instead grabbed hold of his hand.
Sebastian gestured to the door and walked inside. Fleur followed him, hugging her mother as she walked past. Gabrielle pulled Harry rather violently through the doorway, which caused her mother to laugh. Harry grinned along with it, feeling more at ease. He followed the Delacours through the grand hallway and into a spacious living room. It felt different to Hogwarts, it felt lived in and comfortable. The walls radiated warmth rather than cold stone that the castle was made from.
Harry smiled as he looked around the living room. Pictures of the entire Delacour family were plastered all around the large mantelpieces. A picture of Gabrielle waved at him which Harry returned with a grin. Harry realised that this is what a home should be like, not the encroaching walls of Privet Drive. He traced his finger along the mantelpiece above the fire, grinning at the large family portrait above it. It included far more people than the four of the Delacours he was with. Harry saw older witches and wizards and children younger than Gabrielle.
His memory flashed back to what he had seen in the Mirror of Erised three years earlier and the Gryffindor smiled at the image. He wondered what he'd see now if he looked into it.
Noting that the others had sat down, Harry looked for a place to sit. There were three sofas in a U formation around a large coffee table. The adult Delacours had sat on the one in the middle, leaving Harry with a choice. Either sit down next to Fleur and endure the wrath of Gabrielle, or sit next to the younger sister and endure the wrath of Fleur.
Fortunately, this problem was solved easily as Gabrielle went over to sit in between her parents. Harry took his seat next to Fleur, unsure of what was to happen next. Fleur could sense his unease and slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Harry looked at her gratefully.
On the other sofa, Mrs Delacour was surveying the boy to her left with a certain degree of scrutiny. Her eyes looked him up and down and Harry made a desperate attempt to try and flatten his hair down. The Delacour matriarch noticed this and laughed.
"Please, Mr Potter, I am not judging you. Merely noting how you fit many of Fleur's incredibly high standards." She smiled at him as she said this and both teenagers blushed up a storm. Harry's was caused by the kind words while Fleur's was because of embarrassment. She whacked her mother on the arm, which caused Mrs Delacour to laugh harder. The two of them caught each other's eye and joined in on the laughter.
"Come now." Started Sebastian, "Now that we have all settled down. I think we should take Harry around the Chateau. And I'm guessing by the speed that you shot up at, you want to do this Gabby?" He asked the younger sister who nodded enthusiastically. "Very well, Apolline and I will stay here while you two show our guest around."
Fleur stood up and offered Harry her hand, which he took.
"What should I do with my stuff?" He asked.
"Ah! My apologies, Harry. Claude!" Called Sebastian. With a loud cracking noise a House-Elf appeared in front of them. He wasn't wearing the usual pillowcase but more of a hotel staff's uniform. He wore a blue jacket with a red undershirt with golden buttons. Sebastian gestured to Harry's Firebolt and bag. "Would you kindly take these along to Harry's room?" Claude nodded, wandered over to Harry and took his things carefully.
He smiled at the Gryffindor and then vanished to some other part of the large house. Fleur tugged at his hand and nodded towards the door. Grinning at her, Harry followed her out of the room eagerly.
The house itself was not as large as Harry had expected it to be. Gabrielle and Fleur guided him around the dining room, kitchen and library before taking him up the spiral staircase to see the bedrooms.
Mr and Mrs Delacour had the largest bedroom, right at the front of the house, overlooking the front grounds. Fleur's and Gabrielle's were next to each other and Harry's was opposite the older sister's room.
He pushed open the door and peered into his new room. It was almost twice the size of Dudley's, which was the largest in Privet Drive. His eyes widened at the large window overlooking the ocean. Harry hadn't even realised that the house stood atop a cliff, the sea just below the house.
Turning round to look at the rest of the room, Harry was amazed. In the center, with the headboard up against the wall, was a large king sized bed. The crisp white sheets looked inviting and Harry couldn't resist flopping himself down onto it. Fleur giggled at his antics while Gabrielle took this as an invitation to jump on Harry. He exaggerated his pain when she landed on him, letting out a loud groan.
"Get off him Gabby." Said Fleur and with a flirtatious grin added: "he's mine."
Harry felt his face get hot and his cheeks turn red. He laughed nervously as Fleur sat down on the bed next to him. Her sister pouted at the older witch but slid off Harry and landed on the floor with a thud. The two older teenagers laughed.
"Come on! Let's show him the roof!" Exclaimed Gabrielle excitedly. Harry and Fleur got off of his bed and followed her out the door.
Getting to the roof was a slightly difficult task. Fleur showed Harry how to access the secret staircase which wrapped its way up the house's exterior, much to Harry's alarm. He treaded carefully when following the two French girls. Falling off and killing himself wouldn't make a great first impression, of that he was sure. He doubted the House Elves would love cleaning him off the ground. Reaching the top of the stairs, Harry looked out across the ocean. It was the first time seeing the sea properly. He breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh air of the area. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Fleur come beside him.
"Beautiful, is it not?" She asked. Harry nodded and she beamed, his opinion on her home having been a subject rather dear to her.
"It's amazing." Harry said. "Almost as amazing as you."
Fleur teasingly cringed at the 14 year old's attempt at flirting. "Harry. That was so bad. I could open a cheese shop with that." She said, Harry raised his hands defensively.
"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad was it?" He asked indignantly.
"It was that bad." came the voice of Gabrielle. Harry turned to her and jokingly pointed directly at her. "Pipe down young one, this is between me and your sister."
Gabrielle shrugged. "Fine. I'll see you downstairs."
However, rather than heading towards the staircase that had brought the trio to the roof, Gabrielle simply ran forward and jumped off the roof. Harry gasped and moved to try and catch her but stopped when he saw the younger Delacour sister floating slowly down to the ground. Fleur was giggling behind her hand.
"I admire your courage and selflessness Harry. But there is nothing to worry about." She said, "There's a charm all around the house that slows your fall from the roof."
Harry's cheeks had gained a pink tinge as he turned to her. "Well.. I didn't know that, did I?"
Fleur grabbed his hand and pulled him forwards. He allowed himself to fall off the roof, even though all of his instincts told him not to. As his feet left the roof, Harry felt his body be supported, as if he was in water. He wiggled his feet out in front of him and chuckled to himself. The two of them approached the ground and gently touched down to earth with a soft thud.
"I love magic." Harry whispered to himself. Sebastian approached them, he had seen the teenagers drop from the roof. He grinned at his daughters and the dark-haired boy in front of them.
"I see you've discovered the wonders of the roof." He remarked. Harry nodded and smiled. "Come on, dinner is ready." The French wizard gestured towards the door to the house and the three of them went inside. Fleur led the group into the dining room and following a brief tussle between the two sisters; Harry sat down next to Fleur, much to Gabrielle's disappointment.
However, her disappointment soon disappeared as plates of food traveled from the kitchen, through the air, and set themselves down in front of the table's occupants. Harry picked up his fork and began to pick apart his meal. It was a large silver fish he would later come to know as branzino with fresh vegetables and a small side of white rice. With a little help from Fleur, Harry managed to deconstruct his fish and separate the flesh from the bones. He felt embarrassed that he hadn't known or been able to deal with the fish by himself. Harry tried to stay quiet during dinner, not wanting to humiliate himself further. Halfway through dinner, Claude came out with a large bottle of red wine. Everyone took a glass apart from Harry and Gabrielle. The younger witch was not offered a glass, due to her age. When the House Elf presented Harry with a glass, he politely declined before turning to the table. "I uh. I don't really drink." He explained. Apolline smiled at him. "An admirable quality Mr Potter. Healthy livers go for a lot on the black market." The table laughed collectively and Harry instantly felt more comfortable.
The rest of dinner passed without any more abashing moments for Harry and soon after everyone had finished dessert, the group retired to the living room. With a small wave of her wand, Apolline set a small pile of logs alight in the grand fireplace. The orange light flickered around the gloomy room. Harry slumped down on to the sofa, rather ungracefully. Sebastian took the armchair beside the sofa, while Apolline sat down with Gabrielle leaning against her. Her mother stroked her hair gently, the youngest Delacour was clearly rather worn out. Add a large meal on top of that and tiredness was inevitable. The older Delacour sister sat down besides Harry, to his delight. The Gryffindor spent a few minutes plucking up the courage to move his arm around the French witch's shoulders. Hesitantly and slowly, Harry snaked his hand along the back of the sofa and when Fleur leant back against his arm, he took it as a green light. His fingers brushed her shoulder and she moved closer towards him. As this happened, Harry's heartbeat had increased immensely. He was sure she could feel it pulsating inside his chest and he was certain she could hear it when Fleur put her head on his chest. As subtly as possible, Harry breathed slowly in and out to try and get his rapid heart rate under control. Eventually it no longer felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and he relaxed.
Fleur enjoyed listening to Harry's heartbeat. It was strangely comforting. She closed her eyes as her head moved up and down with Harry's breathing. He was warm and rather comfortable, which was odd as most people would prefer to lie on a bed than another person. Feeling his arm wrap around her, Fleur intercepted his hand and interlocked her fingers with his. She moved their hands down and rested them on her thigh. She smirked to herself as she felt his chest move faster due to more rapid breaths. Harry, through a combination of nerves and being a polite and respectful young man, kept his hand exactly where Fleur had put it. Besides, her parents were still in the room.
On top of that, Harry was only fourteen. Fleur had to remind herself of that before she thought of anything too intimate. She herself had never found herself in a situation to provide her with the experience lots of other girls at Beauxbatons boasted about having. The two of them were very similar in that regard. Or at least to the best of Fleur's knowledge. She had never pictured Harry and Hermione like that and Harry had said multiple times that the brown haired bookworm was more like a sister to him. However, there was the other girl. The blonde one. Fleur had never been the jealous type but seeing Harry with her had really rustled her feathers, both figuratively and literally. Yet, Fleur trusted Harry and doubted that, if there was something going on between them, he would try to conceal it. Fleur lay there, wrapped in her own thoughts while her parents and Harry engaged in conversation. She only caught brief snippets of it, but it was mainly about wizarding France and the planned visit to Gringotts the following morning. Nothing she didn't know about already. Instead, Fleur opted to stay in her own mind until her mother noticed and suggested that they should all go to bed.
Sebastian looked up at the golden clock on the mantelpiece. He looked at Apolline and his gaze fell on Gabrielle, who had fallen asleep on her mother. "Look at the time. We should definitely go up. I'll take this little rascal up. Good night you two." With a nod to Harry and Fleur, Sebastian lifted his second born off his wife and left the room. Apolline drained the last of her wine and stood up. She winked at Harry causing him to have a blushing fit and earning a reproachful look from her daughter. She chuckled before heading up to her bedroom. Harry and Fleur now lay alone on the sofa.
"Don't mind her. My mother can be quite the meddler." Fleur said to Harry. He looked down at her and smiled. "It's great. I don't mind." He replied. Fleur gazed into his emerald orbs, which were steaming up slightly. She reached up and wiped a tear from his eye. "What's wrong?" Fleur asked softly. He shook his head. "I'm fine. It's just, you know. It's great. All of it." Fleur nodded, she didn't need him to say anything more. She understood perfectly what he meant. "Right. We should probably go to bed." Harry said, clearly wanting to change the subject. The French witch lying on him nodded and stood up elegantly. She offered him his hand and together they set off through the house.
Harry and Fleur walked through the Chateau in silence, their only source of light being the moonlight shining through the windows. The house, although dark, didn't feel oppressive or encroaching. Instead it felt comforting. Harry ran his hand along the wood of the walls, smiling to himself. Eventually they reached Fleur's door. Harry faced her, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. "Well, this is where we part. Goodnight m'lady." He said, with a long sweeping bow. Fleur giggled. "Oh Harry. You're so stupid sometimes." She turned to the door, pushed it open and stepped inside. Harry stood up straight and grinned at her. Fleur flashed him a toothy smile before shutting the door behind her. Harry stood outside, grinning stupidly to himself.
He looked out the large window to his left, observing the night sky before the sound of a door opening caught his attention. Fleur stood in the doorway, leaning against its frame. Harry turned back towards her. Mustering up all his Gryffindor courage he drew closer to her, reached out with his hands, gently stroking her cheek and brought his lips to hers. This was no kiss outside the Beauxbatons carriage, this kiss had emotion being channeled into it from both parties. Fleur kissed Harry back and ran her hand through his thick untamed hair. Harry grinned into their kiss at the feeling. Harry meanwhile had moved a hand to Fleur's waist. Not anywhere too inappropriate, but where he'd put his hand if they were dancing to a waltz. After a few moments, the two of them broke apart. Fleur rested her forehead against Harry's, her eyes still closed. Harry smiled at her. "Took you long enough." She whispered. Harry chuckled. "I was waiting for the right moment." He explained. Fleur hit him softly on the arm, "You big sap." Laughing again, Harry took Fleur's hand in his, softly kissed it before walking to his door. He looked behind him, saw Fleur watching him, opened the door and collapsed onto his bed. Fleur giggled again and turned round and closed the door behind her.
The following morning, Harry came down to breakfast early. Yet he wasn't alone at the dining table. Sebastian sat, one leg over the other, reading the newspaper. He looked up as Harry came in. "Good morning Harry." the French wizard greeted him with a smile. The younger wizard replied with a nod at Sebastian before taking a seat opposite him. Sebastian flicked his wand towards the kitchen and a vast array of cereals made their way to the table. "I hope you don't mind. The others will not come down for a while and we need to get on our way. A cooked breakfast would simply slow us down." He explained. Harry nodded again and reached out to grab the corn flakes.
He ate quickly before heading upstairs and getting changed into his more formal clothes. It wasn't a three piece suit or anything too extravagant, but the shirt and jeans made him feel less like a teenager who was out of his depth. He came back down to see Sebastian adjusting his trilby hat. Harry smiled at the sight. The Frenchman pulled the door open and followed Harry out. The pair of them walked down the path to the gates. As they walked, Sebastian explained about wards and how one can't apparate directly inside the Chateau. Harry listened carefully, while he didn't have Hermione's thirst for knowledge, it was always good to learn more about the world he now lived permanently in. Walking through the silver gates, Sebastian offered his arm. Harry groaned audibly, causing the older wizard to laugh. Harry reluctantly took it and the feeling of being pulled through a space that was too small flooded through him yet again.
His feet touched the cobbled street of Diagon Alley and suddenly open air was available to him. Harry shook himself slightly, he still wasn't used to the feeling. But he managed to stop himself from doubling over. Once he had gotten his head straight, Harry and Sebastian headed for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The atrium was just as grand as Harry remembered as they walked past rows of goblins working away at their desks. Reaching the large lectern at the back of the hall, the pair stopped. The elderly goblin looked down at them, peering through a pair of half-moon shaped spectacles. "May I help you," He paused, noticing Harry. "...Mr Potter?"
Sebastian spoke for the boy. "We wish to combine Harry's personal vault with his family vault." The Frenchman explained to the goblin.
"I see. Well you should speak with my superior Emblett. He is in his office over there. I'll accompany you." The aging goblin came down from his chair and led the two wizards towards a large, dark door with golden accents. He knocked thrice before pushing it open. Another elderly goblin looked up from his work. Sebastian bowed his head, which Harry wisely copied. Respect was a matter of great importance among goblins.
"You may leave us Grimlon." Emblett said. Grimlon bowed his head and vacated the room.
Emblett studied the two wizards standing in front of him. After a few awkwardly silent moments, the goblin spoke. "So, what is it you're here for gentlemen?"
Sebastian took a step forward. "Harry has recently been made aware of his parents vault and the vast amounts of wealth he is rightfully owed. Our request today is to combine Harry's personal vault and the Potter family vault, allowing him access to all of it." The goblin's expression did not change as Sebastian explained. Once the Frenchman had finished talking, he simply nodded. "That can be arranged. I assume you are one of his guardians, as this can only take place with a legal guardian's permission. No offence to you Mr Potter, but the law simply requires you to be 17."
Harry nodded at him, with a grin tugging at his lips. The goblin's eyes twinkled and he turned his gaze back to Sebastian. Withdrawing a small slip of paper from what looked like a receipt printer the manager read it briefly before looking back at the pair of them. "Everything seems to be in order. Please hold on one moment." The goblin left the room. Sebastian put his hand on Harry's shoulder. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, which Harry was grateful for.
Emblett returned with two folders in hand. He sat back down at his desk and flipped them open. His eyes scanned the files briefly before looking up at the wizards. "Mr Potter, Monsieur Delacour, if you would please come and check this over." Harry and Sebastian crossed the room and scanned the documents. Harry's eyes bulged out of his head when he saw how much money was in his family vault. There were around 2.4 million Galleons simply sitting in that vault. "So, Mr Delacour, Mr Potter if you could just sign there." Harry looked around for a quill but didn't see one anywhere. "Your wand." Sebastian whispered to him. The Frenchman put the tip of his wand to the page and a thin golden line came out of the end. Harry followed suit and soon after there were two gold lines along the bottom of the page. "Magical signature, much more binding than a regular signature. Also harder to forge." Sebastian explained. Harry nodded. Emblett folded the page and slid it inside one of the files. "Well, that is all. Leave everything to us, I'll make sure everything is seen to accordingly." Harry and Sebastian bowed their heads again, which the goblin returned. "Thank you for your time." Sebastian replied. The two wizards left the office and walked back through the atrium in silence.
Harry squinted as they emerged back into Diagon Alley. The sun had managed to break its way through the clouds and cast a golden shine over the street. "Hungry?" Sebastian asked. Harry's stomach grumbled at the offer of food. Sebastian grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. Allons-y." He gestured towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. "It's never too cold for an ice cream." Sebastian smirked. Harry shook his head, "I don't know, winter at Hogwarts doesn't exactly make me yearn for a vanilla sundae when I can have sticky toffee pudding."
"Ah, I cannot disagree with that, I've heard Scottish winters can be awfully chilly." Sebastian replied. Harry shuddered.
"Yeah, add a draughty old castle and freezing temperatures and you don't exactly feel the need for ice cream." Harry remarked, earning a chuckle from Sebastian. Yet, Harry accepted the large mint-choc-chip ice cream gratefully. Sebastian went for a simple strawberry and the two of them sat outside the ice cream parlour and ate. The ice cream from Fortescue's was much easier to eat than regular Muggle ice cream as they had a charm on them that prevented it from melting. Once the pair had finished, they wandered down the rest of the street, looking through shop windows. Harry was distracted by a new pair of Seeker gloves in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. Sebastian noted the until Sebastian stopped and offered Harry his arm again. Harry took it and within a split second they were back outside the grounds of the Chateau.
The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon, signalling the end of the trip for Harry and the return to Hogwarts. However, he couldn't leave without at least flying his Firebolt for a few minutes. Harry walked out of the back door, broomstick in hand. He swung his leg over the smooth wooden frame and shot upwards almost instantly. He soared higher and higher, taking in the view over the majestic French coast. He sat up in the air for a while, simply enjoying the golden sunlight that was starting to dwindle. Pointing the broomstick down, Harry flattened his lean figure to the handle and dived. The wind flew through his hair sending a shiver down his spine and a howling through his ears, yet the adrenaline coursing through him made it impossible to even feel it at that point. The waves approached him rapidly as the Gryffindor Seeker picked up speed. At the last moment, Harry pointed the handle sharply upwards and narrowly avoided plunging into the depths of the sea. He skimmed the top of the water, his feet almost touching it. He remembered the last time he had flown so close to water and lifted his shoes slightly higher. A spout of water caught his eye, a large pod of dolphins were jumping out of the ocean beside him. Harry slowed down, in order to be at level speed with the animals. Mimicking their movements, Harry performed a few flips and barrel rolls as the dolphins did so. A huge grin was plastered on his face and he laughed heartily. It was the first time in a while he had felt so free. Free from stress and anxiety, free from responsibility. Checking his watch and noting the time, Harry pulled up and away from the cetaceans and headed back to the house. He circled round the house's upper floor and gently touched down on the grass just outside the back door. He dismounted the broom and turned around when he heard some soft applause.
"Bravo, that was magnificent."
Harry blushed at Apolline's kind words and nodded, his eyes firmly glued on his feet. "You should take Fleur out on a flight, she loves being in the air. Part of our nature I suppose."
Harry nodded again, noting the suggestion as a future date perhaps. "Come on, the Floo is ready to be used." Harry followed the Delacour matriarch inside and into the living room, where a bright green fire was already blazing.
Harry approached the fireplace when Claude suddenly popped into the room in front of him. The house elf handed Harry his rucksack, which he took with a smile. The elf bowed his head, which Harry returned and disappeared without a sound. "Got everything?" Asked Sebastian, who had come in just behind Harry, his two daughters trailing behind him. The fourteen year old nodded, his broomstick and rucksack clutched in his hands. "Uhm, I'd just like to say thank you very much for everything you've done. This weekend was a blast, I-uh, yeah." Harry stumbled over himself as he tried to voice his emotions to the Delacours. Gabrielle rushed forwards and hugged Harry in a tight embrace. He saw it coming this time and managed to steady himself easily and wrapped an arm around the younger Delacour sister. "Come back soon." She said, her voice slightly wavering.
"Of course." Harry replied with a grin. Sebastian stepped forwards. "Harry, I know it's a lot and overwhelming but you're welcome here any time. I've added you to the wards so you can Floo in and out at any point." Harry let go of Gabrielle and gave Sebastian a hug as well. Sebastian hugged him back and Harry felt very similarly to when Sirius had hugged him the year before. He trusted and respected the man he was hugging. And he knew that Sebastian felt the same way. Apolline gave him a swift peck on the cheek accompanied with a wink. Harry felt his cheeks go pink but grinned at her. Harry turned to the fire when a thought occurred to him.
"Where am I meant to go?"
Ash covered Professor's McGonagall's rug as Harry came sprawling out of the fireplace. He coughed and shook his head, showering more dust around the room. The Transfiguration Professor didn't even look up. Harry stood up as gracefully as he could. "Uh.. evening Professor."
"Potter." McGonagall simply replied. "Try and avoid spilling any more soot over my office if you could."
Harry looked down sheepishly. "Right. Yep. Will do. Sorry Professor." He picked up his Firebolt, which had fallen out of his grip when he had emerged from the firepit and walked out of the door. Fleur had taken the Floo directly into the Beauxbatons carriage so Harry headed straight upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. Luckily, the password hadn't changed since he had left and managed to get inside without hassle. Neither Ron nor Hermione were in the Common Room when he arrived and so Harry opted to head straight upstairs and take a shower.
He emerged from the shower twenty minutes later, the soot had been everywhere, and headed for the dormitory. No one else was in there and Harry opted to stay and have a quiet, relaxed evening. He didn't feel like spending time in the Common Room at the moment, he wanted some time to himself. Harry flopped down on his bed, picked up a book and read for a while. He had discovered more about the magical world in the last two days than he had in four years of History of Magic with Binns. It fascinated him and he wanted to dive deeper into it. Yet he wouldn't have the chance as sleep began to envelop him. Harry hadn't realised how worn out he was until he felt his eyelids begin to droop. Blowing out the candle on his bedside table, Harry drew the curtains around his bed and slid underneath the duvet. He slipped into a slumber with thoughts of France, flying and Fleur flooding through his mind
A/N: Hello there everyone, very sorry for the delay. I'm terrible, I know. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate it, and very happy holidays. Here's to 2022 and hopefully a more productive year for me and this story. I know exactly where I want to take it and I hope you guys will like it. As always, please make sure to leave a review as they are really helpful and encouraging. If you have something negative to say, word it pleasantly, it's always nicer that way. Hope you all have great New Year's celebrations and stay safe, wear your masks, all that jazz. Until next time..
A Headful of Ideas