I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm doing this for fun, not profit. Please let that be a sufficient disclaimer!
...
Gabrielle had often felt sad over the last couple of months, as she had been missing her sister terribly since Fleur started Beauxbatons. Fleur had written a few letters, which her Mama had read to her, and Gabrielle had dictated letters back, but it wasn't the same and Gabrielle was looking forward to Christmas.
Today, however, Gabrielle was feeling excited. In fact, she was currently looking out of a window (whilst bouncing up and down with excitement, Appoline noted) into her front garden, waiting for the source of her excitement to appear.
Sure enough, a minute later two figures appeared in the front garden. "arry! It's 'arry! He here Mama! He here! He come to play!"
Gabrielle raced to the front door, and the second it was open she had charged past her Papa and straight into Harry's open arms. Harry, better prepared than the first time Gabrielle had done this, lifted her up and span her around, enjoying the giggles and laughter that came from his honorary sister. After he'd stopped spinning, but whilst still holding her, Harry spoke. "Hello Gabrielle! I missed you! How have you been?"
Gabrielle wrapped her legs around Harry's waist and snuggled into his arms. "I miss you too! And I miss Fleur! But I happy you're here!"
Harry carried Gabrielle into the living room whilst he replied. "I miss her too. But Christmas is next month, only thirty days away, so it won't be long before you see her again. Oh, but I have an idea I think you'll like."
Gabrielle, now sat on Harry's lap on the usual sofa, looked up at Harry with big, curious (and, Harry thought, adorable) eyes. "What idea? Is it good idea?"
Harry nodded. "A really good idea." Then, holding up a mirror, Harry asked, "Do you know what this is?"
...
Fleur's time at Beauxbatons so far had been mixed. She loved learning magic, and was far ahead in potions thanks to the lessons she'd had with her Mama and Papa; she'd also made some friends, though all girls, as expected. But on the downside, the number of boys who had asked her out was ridiculous! She was eleven, for goodness sake, and at least three of the boys had been seventeen! She had no interest in dating anyone (well, no-one here in France), and was getting fed up with having to constantly turn people down.
But that had been expected. What had not been expected was the issue she now had with Pauline, a girl in her year. Pauline had seemed friendly enough initially, but when the subject of Harry Potter had come up one evening, and Fleur had stated that she knew him, Pauline had been unbelieving. And the more Fleur had insisted it was true – he was her best friend after all! - the more Pauline had mocked and teased her about it. Fleur, wanting to avoid the conflict, had stopped mentioning Harry, but that was only evidence to Pauline that Fleur had been lying all along, and at least two other girls had fallen out with her over it.
Still, it was a lesson that Fleur would learn from, and she was determined it would not spoil her time at school. And, as if to reward her for her mature approach, her mirror vibrated and a voice called her name. "Fleur? Are you there?"
Grinning, Fleur quickly tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears, picked up the mirror, and answered the call... then felt her heart melt at the adorable sight in front of her.
It was clearly a Harry weekend, as Harry was currently sat on 'their' sofa, his warm, cute eyes staring at her, but that wasn't the adorable part. The adorable part was Gabrielle snuggled into his lap, staring at her as if seeing a unicorn for the first time.
"FLEUR! I CAN SEE FLEUR!"
Fleur smiled merrily. "Hello Gabrielle! I've missed you"
"AND I CAN HEAR HER, 'ARRY!"
"She can hear you too, dear sister. She talking to us through the mirror", explained Harry.
"THIS IS SO EXCITING!"
Fleur laughed; speaking to Harry and Gabrielle was just what she needed. "So, Gabrielle, tell me all about your day"
...
Later, after Gabrielle had gone to bed and while Sebastian was using Harry's mirror to talk to Fleur, Appoline was spending some time with her Godson. On this occasion, Harry had his head in Appoline's lap, whilst she stroked his hair – something which led to the current conversation.
"Never?", asked Appoline, surprised.
Harry gave a half-hearted mumble to confirm; Appoline was making him feel so relaxed.
"I just assumed... I mean, you spend so much time cuddled up together, or holding hands, that I assumed you would have. I know Fleur loves it when I brush her hair, I'm surprised she's never asked you to do it", Appoline explained in a soft voice.
Harry could understand – he'd never had anyone stroke his hair before (at least, not that he could remember), and it felt really good to have someone run their fingers through it, and apply light pressure on his scalp.
"Appoline?"
"Yes, my little cabbage?"
Harry smiled at the term of endearment. "What else does Fleur like?", he asked, a little sleepily.
Appoline grinned, wondering if Harry realised how the question could be perceived. He was likely still too young to be thinking of romance, but his deep affection for Fleur, even if only platonic, was obvious. "Well, there are a few other things she likes..."
...
The next day, Gabrielle was in heaven. She knew, absolutely, that this day couldn't get any better – because Harry wanted to learn how to nicely brush a girl's hair, and Gabrielle was volunteered as tribute.
At first, Appoline had shown Harry how she would run her hands through Gabrielle's hair to just play with it, and how Fleur's hair might be different. Then, Harry had his turn, and with Appoline's careful guidance he was relaxing Gabrielle almost to the point of slumber.
Normally, Appoline would only do this for so long, as less important matters (like cooking dinner, making potions, or really anything short of saving the world) would get in the way; but Harry was determined to practise, and practice, and practice... Gabrielle had the best big brother in the world! And when Harry had stopped, and Gabrielle feared her morning of bliss was finished, her Mama merely declared that hair playing was done and that it was now time for Harry to learn about hair brushing, and Gabrielle could have melted with joy.
The whole morning was passed in this way, and then Gabrielle's earlier thought – that the day couldn't get any better - was proved wrong. "Gabrielle, my little fly? You've been so good and patient this morning whilst 'arry was practicing; how about we buy lunch from the bakery as a treat?".
Gabrielle, in unbridled joy, then performed her first burst of accidental magic: she floated half a metre off of Harry's lap.
...
The rest of the weekend sped by, but afterwards time passed very slowly for Harry. He was constantly counting down the days until the next Delacour weekend, when he could see Fleur again; the mirrors were a help, but Harry really wanted to see her properly.
Finally, it was Christmas Eve. When Sebastian knocked on the door, Harry said goodbye to the Dursleys, made sure his presents for them (chocolates for Vernon and Dudley, and a bubble bath gift set for Petunia) were under the tree, then joyfully grabbed Sebastian's hand to be whisked away.
Once the two landed in France, Harry ran towards the front door, but it was opened before he got there and an excited Fleur flung herself into his arms.
"Oh 'arry, I've missed you so much!", Fleur half-laughed, half-cried.
"I've missed you too, Fleur. Really, really missed you", Harry replied, soaking in Fleur's warmth.
Only at Sebastian's gentle teasing – "Are you two going to stand there like that all day, in the cold?" – did the pair let go of each other, enough for Fleur to place two long kisses on Harry's cheek and then pull him inside.
As Gabrielle was in the living room, and Fleur had no intention of sharing her first few minutes of Harry time, Fleur led Harry up to their bedroom and pulled him into a tight hug the moment their door was shut. After a minute they settled into an approximation of their usual sofa-cuddle on Fleur's bed - wrapped up in each others arms, with Harry's right hand holding Fleur's left - and the two could catch up as usual. After Fleur had kissed Harry's cheek a couple more times, that is.
They had much to catch up on, and Fleur was desperately hoping she would be allowed more time than usual. And whilst it didn't feel like it when Gabrielle came charging into the room to demand her Harry time, she had been cuddled up and talking with Harry for about fifteen minutes – longer than the five or so she usually claimed by right.
For the rest of the day, Gabrielle was relentless: she, too, had missed both Harry and Fleur, and was determined to get as much attention from one or both of them as she could. And whilst Fleur was tempted to begrudge her sister, Fleur knew that she had probably seen more of Harry - courtesy of the mirrors – than Gabrielle had during the last two Harry weekends.
Although after Harry had read Gabrielle more than her allotted bedtime stories ("and another story, 'arry?"), Fleur wasted no time in grabbing some snacks, saying a very early goodnight to her Mama and Papa, then dragging Harry (very willingly) up to their room so they could finish catching up.
And if that catch up happened to include Harry and Fleur cuddled on Fleur's bed, Fleur kissing Harry's cheek very often, and Fleur's allure absolutely pouring off of her... well, Fleur was sure she could cope.
...
Harry had kept a secret from Fleur. He hadn't needed to keep it for long, but it had been very difficult nonetheless. And as he woke up on Christmas morning, he knew she would find out soon. He thought he could guess her reaction, but he was nervous – what if he was wrong, and she was upset?
Harry managed to distract himself through breakfast, especially when Gabrielle had climbed onto his lap, pulled her plate over from where it had been sitting, and declared "My new chair!".
But then breakfast was over, and the Delacours and Harry moved into the living room. Appoline, knowing Harry was worried, picked up his present for Fleur – which also contained his secret – and passed it to her. "Open this present first, my angel."
Fleur looked at it, confused. It was just an envelope - and not even a heavy one – so she would usually have left it for near the end. But, curious, she opened it up. Inside was a card, which she opened, then her eyes started to widen as she read:
Dear Fleur,
Instead of buying you something, this year I thought I'd do something for you.
This is your voucher for one hour of hair brushing – I've been secretly practicing on Gabrielle so I can do it well.
Love,
Your best friend, Harry x
Fleur looked at Harry, who was obviously nervous; perhaps at the lack of a 'real' present. But as Fleur's face burst into a wide, joyous smile – he was just so cute! – relief flooded through Harry... just in time for Fleur to kiss his cheek lovingly.
"You were practicing just for me?" Fleur asked.
Harry nodded, a small smile on his lips.
"Let's hurry up and open the rest of the presents!" Fleur declared. "I want this one before Christmas lunch!"
...
Fleur had no idea why she hadn't asked Harry to do this before, other than she hadn't thought about it – Harry weekends were usually filled with so many fun things, and she'd obviously been distracted. But sat here, with Harry running his hands through her hair... oh, it was magnificent!
They were sat on Fleur's bed, with Harry sat behind Fleur, leaning against the headboard. Harry's fingers were running through Fleur's soft, golden hair – sometimes playing with the hair that cascaded down her back, but other times running his fingers right up into her scalp, almost massaging her as he played with her roots. Fleur was mewling in pleasure - this was as good as when her Mama or Papa did it, except Harry was doing it for far longer!
Harry had no intention of stopping. Veela hair was magical by nature – it had to be, to be able to form a wand core – and even if Fleur wasn't fully Veela (though Harry was admittedly sketchy about that detail), her hair carried enough magic to feel really good when Harry played with it: like a pleasurable tingling in his fingers. Hearing his best friend so obviously enjoying her Christmas present, Harry was even less inclined to stop.
Though when the time got too late, and Sebastian came up to tell them it was only about twenty minutes until lunch – and that Fleur's hair would probably need brushing before they came down – Harry had to stop hair playing and start hair brushing. And whilst Harry preferred running his fingers through Fleur's hair than running a comb through it, Fleur was in delightful bliss either way.
...
Gabrielle had been distracted with new toys during the morning, but after lunch she was determined to get her share of Harry's time. And when Harry suggested he could play with her hair, Gabrielle was delighted. Fleur, trying to be the best big sister she could, decided that she would trace patterns along Gabrielle's palms – something her sister also enjoyed – at the same time. Gabrielle was thus turned into metaphorical, blissful mush.
Whilst Harry's hands were helping to render Gabrielle utterly incapable of any coherent thought (well, what counts as coherent for a three year old), he noted that Gabrielle's hair didn't feel magical like Fleur's did.
"Fleur?"
"Yes, 'arry?"
"How come your hair feels magical, but Gabrielle's doesn't?"
Fleur smiled at the question; she really needed to get Harry a book on the Veela. "When her Allure appears, so too will the rest of her Veela magic, though the magic will then grow over time. Her hair probably has very little magic in it for now"
Harry smiled in thanks for the explanation, then returned his full attention to his little sister.
...
The rest of Christmas day was filled with laughter and fun – Sirius popped by with Cheveu in the afternoon ("are you two still not kissing yet?!"), and then Remus popped by briefly to exchange presents – though as he was recovering from the recent full moon, he didn't stay long.
All too soon, though, the day – and then the Delacour visit – had ended, and Fleur and Harry were holding tightly to each other, soaking in the warmth of one final hug before they said goodbye until next time.
...
The year progressed in much the same way – Gabrielle enjoying bonus Harry time when Fleur was at school, and Harry and Fleur regularly talking through mirrors and then cuddling each other a silly amount during school holidays.
Before long it was summer, Fleur had turned twelve, Harry had turned ten, Gabrielle had turned four, and Fleur was torn.
On one hand, Harry still hadn't shown any interest in kissing, which was terribly unfair. When would her best friend hit puberty and start desiring her?!
On the other hand, Fleur had started to see the wisdom of her Mama's words from two years ago. Fleur had tried to study the relationships of anyone at Beauxbatons who dated from another school, and the results saddened her – of the five she knew of, all had ended within a year. The distance had always been too much.
She had no interest in dating anyone from her own school – there was only one boy who could even hold a conversation with her, and she was quite certain that was because no girl held his interest – but the thought of having to wait so long for Harry wasn't appealing. Well, Harry had only just turned ten, and her Mama said that girls notice these things earlier than boys; if she had to pine after her best friend for a while longer, she would. After all, she was quite sure that to an outsider, they probably looked like they were dating – with the hand-holding, cuddling, hair playing, etc. – and that would have to be enough... for now.
...
Author notes:
As always, I am so grateful to those who follow or favourite this story – thank you so much. And an even bigger thank you to those that review, whether that's a few words or a few sentences – not only do reviews motivate me more than anything to write faster, but I'm also grateful to know what parts people are particularly enjoying. Thanks MauserTeleri, zeriz, DanT-00 and Guest for reviews, and special thanks to the magnificent Cleddyf, Arnie1701, Urgazhi, Z-Arc34, Spider of Dreams, Elder Sibling, SKFF and BradyC for additional reviews since last chapter.
Cleddyf – I share your views completely, and have no plans to include a triangle. Regarding Beauxbatons... as a writer, my main reason against is that I wanted to be able to lean on JKR's work as much as possible, and a new school would require a lot more to be included which would slow the story down. I've a few ideas how that could translate into a believable reason, plot-wise.
Z-Arc34 – This is something I've been considering, and I think I know which way I'm going to go. If you have a strong preference, feel free to DM me over the next couple of days to try and convince me, before the next chapter appears.
Spider of Dreams – if you mean magically, then no. If you mean it in the mundane sense, then possibly; there are different character traits that will subconsciously form part of any writer's characters, and that's a reasonable one for Harry in this story.
Elder Sibling – as per chapter 3, Lucius is paying for his crimes in Azkaban, so you can be sure he's not getting a single Knut. As for what happens to the rest of the money... hmmm, good point, I've got a few ideas.
SKFF – If I choose to broadly follow canon on your first point, that would be around book 3; poor Fleur!