Note: This chapter is shorter than my previous ones, do not worry, I will make it up with the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling Does)

The Guardian

24th December 1995

On Christmas Eve Night, Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his chair within his office, looking upon the four objects on his desk. A ring, Cup, Diadem, and a book were the objects that Dumbledore gazed upon with disgust written on his aging face. Why he was looking at them with that particular look was they all had one thing in common, they were Horcruxes. What are Horcruxes? They are objects that someone places a part of their soul within it to become immortal. The person does that by splitting their soul apart by killing another person. It is considered the most terrible of all the Dark Arts, so the things on the desk belong to Voldemort.

That is why Voldemort was not killed the night he went after the Potters. Dumbledore knew that Tom was obsessed with blood purity and Immortality, causing him to seek out methods like Horcruxes. Unfortunately, Albus did not know how many more Tom had as four was considered too much by most standards. However, Albus knew of one more Voldemort made, although accidentally, it was the most curious of them all: Harry Potter.

Dumbledore sighed as he rubbed his eyes tiredly at the thought of telling Harry about the information he had kept secret for so long. For several years, he theorized that Harry had a Horcruxe within his scar, but it was only confirmed when he heard about Harry being able to see into Tom's mind last year. A small part of him knew that keeping this kind of information secret would come back to bite him, especially with Harry and Ms. Delacour. While Albus did not fear Harry much, Fleur Delacour was another story. When angered, Fleur was not shy in displaying her rage to anyone she saw fit to deserve it. That was on full display the night when Mr. Weasley was attacked and the suggestion that Severus teach Harry Occlumency.

While he knew that Ms. Delacour's anger would be directed at him soon, Dumbledore could not be any more proud when Harry and Fleur started a relationship. When he hired her, Albus did not think they would become close enough to start dating. However, he was thankful that he was proven wrong, as love is Harry's most significant advantage over Voldemort, especially with Harry's friends sticking with him through thick and thin.

Shaking out of his thoughts, Dumbledore picked up the Dairy, examining the large hole through the middle that Harry made—thinking back to that year when Harry showed that he could speak to snakes and the Chamber of Secrets. Then, setting the book down, Albus stood up and strolled over to the window, watching the snowfall. Then, dropping his gaze to his right hand where the Gaunts Ring had been for months now to see the curse spreading more throughout his appendage. Albus knew that he did not have much time left before the curse would eventually take his life.

Dumbledore watched the snowflakes fall onto the glass and thought about finding all of the Horcruxes and destroying them to defeat Tom. But, knowing how Voldemort is, he would have at least one Horcruxe on him at all times, making destroying all of them much more difficult. So Albus closed his eyes, resting his aging mind from the seemingly impossible goal of taking down Voldemort when mixing in Horcruxes.

Turning his gaze away from the window and to the clock, Dumbledore saw how late it was, deciding that it was time to get some sleep. He took one last look out the window before turning in for the night, hoping that the future would look brighter than it had today.

|X|

12th January 1996

Harry looked upon the group of students as they filed into the Room for another D.A. meeting. Since the last one, he knew that they wanted to learn how to perform the Patronus Charm. After the last person stepped into line, Harry called their attention.

"Alright, you know what we are going to be practicing tonight, correct?" He asked, and the group simultaneously nodded.

Fleur, who was standing right beside him, giggled before Harry stepped forward, speaking up, "Good. But, first, let me clarify that most if not all of you will not master this spell right away. It took me months to get more than a small mist coming out."

Harry motioned for the members to split up into groups of two before saying, "Ok, I want each of you to think of a memory that brings you happiness. That is what drives the Charm. The more happiness you feel, the more powerful the spell will become. So, give it a try and when you have it, say 'Expecto Patronum' with your wand pointed to the ceiling."

Everyone went through their memories to find one that would work. Some people found their memory right away and chanted the Charm to the air, only to get a slight mist coming out of the wand. Others took much longer to gather a memory for them to use, but the same smoke appeared when they did.

"Do not get discouraged. If ze memory does not work, switc' memories," Fleur called out as some students were starting to show disappointment on their faces.

Harry and Fleur continued to walk around, helping anyone that was struggling. Most of them were getting to the point where they had a strong mist coming out but could not get the Patronus to form fully. With the others that were struggling more, Harry took them aside.

"If the memory is not working, switch to another, alright?" He looked at Daphne, "Daphne, what memory were you using?"

Daphne answered after a moment, "I was using the memory of my home as it has brought me happiness."

"That is a good memory to use, but I do not think that was powerful enough," Harry nodded in thought, "Why does your home bring you happiness?"

"It reminds me of my family." The blonde witch answer.

Harry smiled at what Daphne had said, which caused Daphne to look at him with a confused face mixed with slight irritation. It took a few seconds before Daphne's face changed to a look of understanding as it hit her. She turned around with her wand in the air, and with the memory of her family, she cast the spell. A strong mist poured out of the tip of her wand, which, while it was not a complete Patronus, Daphne was grinning at the improvement.

Harry glanced at the others in the small group, "See what happens when you change memories." Harry flicked out his wand, pointed it in the air, and thought of being in Fleur's arms, the love that poured from her.

Expecto Patronum!

A stag burst out of Harry's wand, galloping around the Room before stopping in front of him. Then, sensing no danger, the stag bowed its head before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Harry turned towards the group, who were watching in wonder as that was the first time that most of them had seen his full Patronus.

"Alright, everyone, let's get back to work," Called Harry with a clap of his hands.

The D.A. members continued to practice the Charm for the next few hours. Harry watched with a proud smile as most everyone had gotten to the point of having a sizeable mist-like result. Fleur stepped next to him with a proud smile of her own as she had seen Harry morph into a strong leader under her tutelage, although it also helped that he had a brave streak a mile wide.

Fleur nudged him when the time was getting close before the meeting had come to an end. Harry called them to stop and line up, unable to keep the grin off his lips. Once everyone was in their rightful positions, Harry addressed the group.

"I want to congratulate you all on getting further with the Patronus Charm than most adult witches and wizards could do. Getting to the mist-like result takes a lot of concentration and skill, which every one of you has. Now, before we leave for the night, I'm letting you know that we will be learning how to gather your magic, to build it up, and letting it out for a more powerful result."

Harry closed his eyes and focused on gathering his magic together to demonstrate. A reddish-green aura surrounded him as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open, pointed his wand in front of him.

Reducto!

The curse soared through the air, crashing into a brick column that appeared out of nowhere, exploding into small chunks. Everyone looked where the column stood, then back at Harry, who had a slight grin on his face. Harry turned his attention back to the D.A. members.

"You see what you can do when you collect your magic together? Now, any questions before we leave tonight?" Harry asked before seeing that everyone still had a look of shock on their faces, "Alright, off with you all then." With a Vermillious Charm signaling that they were dismissed.

Once the group had dispersed into their respective common rooms, Harry and Fleur stepped into the living room of their quarters. Sitting down with Harry, cuddling up to Fleur's side, they enjoyed the warmth that the fireplace was giving off. Fleur combed her fingers through his hair, smiling warmingly at the progress Harry had made within the time since the Order rescuing him from his relative's house.

" 'Arry, I am so proud of you. You 'ave s'own so muc' growt' in a s'ort amount of time," Fleur commented, kissing the top of his head.

Harry turned to look up at her, "I couldn't have done it without you, Fleur."

He leaned up, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Fleur wrapped her arms around his head, keeping him attached to her lips. However, the lack of air became a problem for them, separating with a thin trail of saliva connecting them. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute, showing their love for the other. Then, Fleur stood up, guiding Harry up to the bedroom before mentioning that they needed to get some sleep.

After changing into sleepwear, Harry and Fleur slipped into bed with Fleur spooning Harry. She flicked her wrist, extinguishing the light from their bedroom before kissing Harry on the cheek, pressing her chest into his back while pulling him closer to herself.

"Bonne Nuit, 'Arry."

Harry smiled tiredly, "Bonne Nuit, Fleur." Letting the tiredness that they felt take them away.

13th January 1996

Harry slowly opened his eyes to hear the familiar sound of raindrops hitting the window. From his position, he could see dark clouds through the curtains in front of the window, showing that it would possibly be raining all day, which did not bother him as Harry had always secretly liked the rain. Carefully to not wake Fleur, Harry twisted around in her arms to face her. Fleur's hair spread out across her face, shoulders, and back while her lips were parted slightly. Her chest rhythmically moved up and down to her steady breathing as Fleur was still fast asleep.

Harry wiggled down a bit to place his head on her breasts, wanting to hear her heartbeat. Then, wrapping his arms around her middle, Harry closed his eyes, letting the comfort that Fleur offered take him over into a deep sleep, never wanting to leave her arms.

A few hours later, Fleur's eyes fluttered open to see that it was downpouring outside, along with the sounds of thunder and flashing of lightning. Looking down, she saw Harry asleep with his head on her breast, listening to her heartbeat. Then, smiling at no matter what, he will find a way to place his head either on top or in between her chest. Fleur turned her head to see that it was about 11 a.m., she was thankful that it was a Saturday, meaning no classes.

Fleur shook Harry awake lightly, taking a few seconds before his emerald green eyes slowly opened. Then, grabbing his glasses and placing them on his face, Fleur smiled brightly at her boyfriend.

"Good Morning, 'Arry. Is that your wand I feel, or are you 'appy to see me?" She teased with a smirk.

Harry blushed bright red but did not want to be outdone. He quickly started to suck on her neck while grabbing her ass, causing her to let out a throaty moan.

"You will not make me back down, sweetie," Harry playfully shot back.

Fleur laughed, "Zat is good. I love a c'allenge. Especially w'en it comes to zis because I will always win." Fleur twisted them to where she was straddling him with a haughtily naughty smirk to emphasize her point.

Harry gazed up at Fleur; the darkened skylight that came through the window made her skin glow. Then, leaning up, Harry took her left breast between his lips, suckling it. That made Fleur moan loudly, gripping the back of his head to keep him attached to her chest. Then, feeling his erection pressing into her womanhood, she slowly started to grind herself back and forth, loving the friction. Next, Harry traced his right hand down Fleur's spine until coming to her ass, grabbing it.

Fleur pulled Harry off her breast, slamming her lips onto his lips. Pulling away a minute later, Fleur smiled lovingly at him with love shining through in her eyes. Harry sat up, smiling shyly at Fleur, knowing that he was fortunate to have her in his life.

"Do you have anything planned for today, Fleur?" Asked Harry, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

Fleur giggled, "I wanted to do some more training today, just ze two of us."

Harry hummed in acknowledgment against her neck, causing Fleur to shiver with pleasure before slowly climbing out of bed. After grabbing a pair of clothes, Fleur changed into her workout outfit. Giving Harry a wink, Fleur walked out of the bedroom down to the living room. Harry gave off a slight grin before hopping out of bed and changing into his workout clothes. Meeting Fleur in the Room of Requirement, Harry and Fleur got into positions.

For a tense two minutes, Fleur nor Harry made the first move. Then, they studied each other, figuring out a plan to defeat the other. Eventually, Fleur made the first move, leveling her wand at Harry.

Fumos!

Smoke started to pour out, covering the training area in a thick smokescreen. Harry tensed up as he did not expect that move. Harry closed his eyes since he could not see anything, focusing on sensing the spells. It took a few moments before the first spell shot, a Stunner through the smoke. Harry ducked down to avoid it before shooting a Disarming Charm in the direction that Stunning Charm came from a second ago.

"You will 'ave to do better zan zat, 'Arry~!" Fleur's teasing voice rang out from the cloud of smoke.

Harry clenched his jaw as he could not tell where Fleur could be at any point. However, he knew that there had to be a solution to getting rid of the smoke. Then, he suddenly remembered he could blow the smoke away with a powerful Wind Charm. But, knowing that Fleur would not give him the chance to gather enough magic, Harry had to protect himself from getting hit.

Protego!

Harry conjured a full covered shield, making sure that he was covered on all sides before closing his eyes and starting to gather up his magic. Fleur, who could see what Harry was attempting to do, was thinking about breaking his concentration and protection. Going with the best option, which was overloading him with spells and curses, Fleur ran around him, throwing anything that came to her mind.

Stupify! Incendio! Reducto! Expelliarmus! Aguamenti!

The attacks slammed into Harry's shield, but it did not disrupt him from gathering his magical energy. Fleur came to a sliding halt behind the cloud of smoke, pondering what he could be thinking. Since Harry could not see her, he would not carelessly throw curses around. Then, deciding that she would hide within the smoke, Fleur watched Harry closely for any signs of attacking.

Harry felt Fleur's attacks make contact, but that did not make him open his eyes. Instead, Harry focused on his magic and felt the magical power grow every second. Once he thought he had enough magic gathered up, Harry snapped his eyes open and waved his wand to dispel the shield quickly.

Ventus!

The Wind Charm blew through, clearing out all of the smoke covering the field, revealing Fleur standing there, shocked. Harry, however, did not slow down once he saw where Fleur was. Instead, he quickly aimed and shot off multiple spells to catch her off guard.

Incendio! Reducto! Stupify!

Fleur rolled to the right, avoiding the fire spell, and had to move to the right again not to get hit by the Reductor Curse. Then, she had to throw up her Protego Charm for the Stunning Charm. Unfortunately, it crashed into the Charm with a significant amount of force to the point where it made Fleur flinch at impact. Harry saw that he had her on the defensive now, so he decided to act on it.

Incendio!

Harry shot a torrent of flames at Fleur, slamming into her protection. Then, focusing, Harry put more power into the Charm, causing the jet of fire to become significantly larger. Fleur pushed more of her magical energy into her shield, keeping it up until she saw the perfect opening. Her opportunity came when the flames died down, and Fleur gazed at Harry, who was breathing heavily. Waving the shield down, Fleur shot off several Stunners at Harry, catching him squarely in the chest causing him to fall on his back.

Fleur stepped over to Harry, pointing her wand at Harry before speaking, "You 'ave become muc' better, 'Arry. 'Owever, I still 'ave ze upper 'and."

Harry from the wand to her face and back again before swinging his legs in an arc, disarming Fleur. The arcing kick gave him the leverage to land on his feet again, having Fleur at wand point.

"What was that, Sweetheart?" Harry smirked at the stunned look on Fleur's face.

However, the stunning look morphed into a hauntingly grin right as Fleur tackled him to the ground. The motion caused Harry to lose grip of his wand, which slid a few feet away from them. Then, having him pinned beneath her, Fleur grinned the same grin from moments ago.

"Do you yield, 'Arry~?" The seduction in her tone was plain as day to Harry.

Breathing hard and knowing that he did not have a way out of her tightening grip, Harry nodded, "I yield."

Giggling slyly, Fleur kissed the lightning bolt scar, "Zat was a great spar, love."

Laying there with Fleur on top of him, Harry could not help but smile at how she smiled at him. Whether that be the seductive smile or her more innocent smile, it always seems to bring him into a good mood. Then, wrapping his arms around her middle, bringing her down onto his chest before kissing her. Fleur ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. Pulling apart, Fleur pulled Harry to his feet, and with a wave of her hand, their wands flew into their hands.

While still slightly tired from the sparring match, Harry felt good with the progress that he had made. Walking back to their quarters and changing out of their workout clothes into some casual shirts and jeans, Harry and Fleur then walked to the Great Hall for some food. Noticing that it was about lunchtime, Harry saw Ron, Hermione, Neville, the twins sitting together.

Sitting down, Harry and Fleur greeted the group with nods before filling their plates as they were starving from training. The twins observed that the couple did not say anything but went straight for the food. That made them grin evilly.

"Hungry, we see?"

"Starving from 'training'?" Fred and George questioned together, smirking.

Harry stopped chewing, swallowed the food, and blushed before speaking up, "Not that kind of training, you two. We sparred." Once those words left his mouth, Harry instantly regretted saying that.

"Oh, So what you are saying is that you two wrestled?" Fred asked with an evil grin.

George sported a similar grin, "I do think that is what Harrykins is implying."

Fleur snorted, "At least 'Arry is getting some, unlike you two. I do zink zat I 'ave seen any girls wiz you two."

Fred and George sported completely shocked faces were too much for Harry, who banged his fist on the table from laughing so hard. It did not take long for Ron, Hermione, and Neville to follow suit, laughing uncontrollably. Fleur gave the twins her best innocent smile before giggling behind her hand. Shaking their heads, Fred and George started to laugh as well, joining the rest of the group.

Once the laughter finally died down, Fleur clarified, " 'Arry and I sparred before coming down. 'E is getting better in fig'ting, and his arsenal of spells is growing."

Hermione spoke up, "That is awesome, Harry. Hopefully, you will teach the D.A. some of those spells." She whispered the last part so no one else could hear.

"I will, Hermione," Harry nodded in agreement.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Neville asked, taking a bite of food.

Harry turned to Fleur, "What do you want to do?"

"W'y don't we all go to 'Ogsmeade?" Fleur suggested after a minute of thinking.

Ron answered, "Sure, I am down for that." Hermione and Neville nodded with smiles while the twins gave her two big thumbs up, making Fleur chuckle at their antics.

"Alright, I have been craving a butterbeer lately," Grinned Harry.

With that, the group stood up, gathered their coats, and walked through the castle to Hogsmeade. Riding the carriages to the small village, everyone talked about minor things, like what else Harry would be teaching the D.A., along with teasing the couple, etc. Once they arrived, Harry and Fleur led the rest to Three Broomsticks, where they saw a few people hanging around, but that was about it.

Sitting down, Fred and George waved Madam Rosemerta over. Walking over, the owner smiled at the group before shaking her head at the flirtation looks on the twin's face.

"That will be an automatic no, boys, to whatever your question is," Rosemerta spoke up before either of the twins could say anything.

Fred and George feigned hurt looks, "How could you, Rose? All we were going to ask was if we could get some Butterbeer."

"It's Rosemerta to you all!" She mocked glared at them, "Alright, Butterbeer for all of you?" At the nod from everyone there, Rosemerta wrote down the request before turning to Harry, "Are you going to buy something special for your girlfriend, Harry?"

"Um," Harry was caught off guard by the question.

Fleur giggled, waving off the question, "A Butterbeer will be just fine, Rosemerta."

Madam Rosemerta smirked and walked off to prepare the drinks for the group. Harry broke out of his trance of sorts with his friends chuckling at the lost look on his face. He glared playfully at them before chuckling himself, enjoying the company of his close friends and girlfriend. A few minutes later, the barmaid brought them a tray full of Butterbeer. After everyone grabbed a glass, Rosemerta noticed Harry's ring.

"I did not know you wore jewelry, Harry," Rosemerta commented with a look at the ring.

Harry raised his brow at the comment before remembering he was wearing the ring Fleur gave him, "Oh yeah, Fleur gave this to me for Christmas."

Rose grinned, "So, Fleur put a ring on you before you put a ring on her? Interesting." Her sly tone resulted in Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, and George snorting into their drinks while Fleur sipped her drink innocently.

"What is that supposed to mean, Rose?" Harry questioned, the implication not missed.

Rose chuckled, "Fleur has claimed you as her property."

"I already did zat, Madam," Fleur commented off-handly while drinking. That caused Harry to choke on his Butterbeer while his friends laughed at his reaction.

Rosemerta let out a hearty laugh before being waved over by another customer. Harry glared at Fleur for the comment. However, Fleur just smiled innocently, which Harry did not buy for a second. Shaking his head exacerbated, Harry gulped the sweet beverage. While being embarrassed would not be his first choice when hanging with friends, he enjoyed it all the same. Especially when the looming threat of war was right around the corner, it was nice to act like a regular teenager with his friends and girlfriend.

The group talked and laughed at the twins' stories about their previous misadventures for the next few hours. Along with Fred and George, Harry took turns telling stories about Quiddich. The one about Harry's second year and how he had to regrow the bones in his right arm made Fleur raise an eyebrow at him. He explained how Lockhart tried to heal the arm but just made the bones disappear instead. Fleur shook her head, muttering something about him constantly in the Hospital Wing, a sentiment that everyone agreed on.

After finishing their Butterbeer, everyone lounged around, telling more adventures. Rosemerta joined them after ensuring that all the other patrons had their drinks and food were filled. She explained that Harry tripped and landed on top of her, face sunk entirely into her chest. Harry's face was beet red, much to the amusement of his friends and girlfriend. Finally, Harry decided to get some revenge and brought up Ron's disastrous attempt to ask Fleur to The Yule Ball. That caused Fleur to bang her fist on the table from laughing along with the twins ribbing him about it.

Ron's face matched his hair, "That was uncalled for!"

"Oh really?" Harry shot back with a smirk.

"You asked her to the Ball?" Rosemerta questioned with an evil grin.

Neville smirked, "Well, he did not ask her. He more yelled it at her before running away." Ron retaliated with a punch to Neville's right arm.

"Alright! However, in my defense, I was not used to her Allure. But, I have gotten better, haven't I?" Ron explained with an embarrassed look.

Hermione nodded, smiling, "Yes, you have gotten better, Ron."

"While on the subject of Fleur, while we all know he had a crush on her throughout last year. I know that he dreamt about her as he would say her name in his sleep," Ron said, proud of himself for making Harry go silent so fast. It was funny to see his face become radioactively red.

"I…" Harry's mouth opened, then closed, remembering some of his exciting dreams about Fleur last year. Hermione looked upon him with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment while Ron, Neville, and the twins were laughing hysterically. Rosemerta's grin spoke volumes of her finding this funny. But, on the other hand, Fleur gazed at him with a raised eyebrow, conveying that he would have to explain later.

As the day passed, the friend group continued to talk for several hours before they needed to head back to the castle. Then, paying for their meal, Harry and Fleur led the rest to the carriages, stepping into them as they traveled down the familiar path away from the small village. The sun was mostly gone when the carriages pulled up to the castle, letting the group off. The friends made their way through the hallways, noticing that dinner was wrapping up, so they turned towards Gryffindor Tower. Stepping up to the Fat Lady and speaking the password, Harry and Fleur split off from the rest with a wave.

Harry and Fleur crashed onto the couch after making their way through the hallway and into the living quarters. The couple cuddled up to each other, relishing in comfort. Fleur was smiling from having a great time with the friends that she had made from her time at Hogwarts. While she had two friends from her time in school, it was nice to have more friends who gave her a different perspective.

But, on the other hand, Harry was thinking of a much darker topic. He knew that Fleur cared a lot for him but was still scared that he would drive her away after telling her about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his relatives. Taking a deep breath, Harry started to go through some of the memories that had been suppressed for many years, knowing that she needed to know. Then, sitting up, he looked at Fleur, who had a questioning gaze.

Harry took a deep breath, "Do you remember when you and the rest of the Order rescued me from my relatives?" Fleur raised an eyebrow but nodded before Harry continued, "Did you see the locks on my door?" Again, Fleur nodded with narrowed eyes this time.

He stood up from the couch, walked over to the fireplace, gazed into the blazing flames, "You already know that they do not like magic at all. They believe that it is not normal or what they define as normal. Ever since I could remember, they have wanted to eliminate the so-called 'freakishness' that was in me."

Fleur stepped over to him and wrapped Harry in the hug, whispering, "W'at did zey do?" Although, she had a feeling what the answer would be from the hints.

"They beat me," Harry spoke, barely above a whisper, "I was subject to constant beatings for anything and everything that went wrong. But, no matter what it was for, I was the…." Harry choked up, the words becoming caught in his throat. Tears started to well up in his eyes as the memories came back more vital than ever.

Fleur squeezed her arms around Harry, conveying that she was there for him, no matter what he told her. Harry grabbed her forearm, squeezing it back as he tried to keep the tears at bay. But, unfortunately, he was losing that battle as tears started running down his cheeks. Fleur was not doing any better; her eyes began to tear up at the thought of Harry being beaten.

"I was the scapegoat for anything that went wrong." Harry finished, gritting his teeth at the flow of memories coming back.

For the next few hours, Harry did his best to tell Fleur what happened during his time at the Dursleys. From being forced to live in the cupboard under the stairs, the constant abuse, to the lies they fed the neighborhood about him, Harry spilled his most essential secrets to her as she continued to hold onto him.

Fleur was horrified at the stories that Harry was telling her. Then, just when she thought it would end, it continued into the next nightmare story about abuse. She felt Harry twist within her grasp before he buried his head into her chest, sobbing hard as the memories became too much for him to handle. Tightening her arms around him, Fleur rocked him back and forth, doing her best to comfort the boy that had come to mean so much to her. Fleur let out her Allure, letting it wrap around him, soothing him, showing him that she was there for him, loved him.

The sobbing went on for another hour before it became sniffling. Fleur still held onto Harry, combing her fingers through his hair. Then, whispering soothing things into his ear, Fleur led him back to the couch, where she let Harry sit on her lap.

Fleur's rage was building at the thought of Harry being abused by the monsters that were his relatives. When she rescued him from there last summer, she had noticed the many locks on his bedroom door, no wonder why he was quiet and reserved, along with everything that has happened in the past five years since he started going to Hogwarts.

" 'Arry?" Fleur whispered. She felt him nod in acknowledgment against her shoulder, "You will not be going back to zat place again. You are always welcome at my parents 'ome wiz me."

Harry slowly pulled away to meet her gaze, "I-I do not want to impose."

Fleur gently shook her head, "You will never impose. 'Arry, you deserve an 'ome zat is full of love." She lightly kissed the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry closed his eyes, basking in the small gestures like having his forehead kissed. All of the pain and suffering he went through all those years melted slowly away when he was with Fleur. Wishing that he would never have to go back to that hellish place, Harry buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her calming scent before letting all of the tension within himself slowly wash away.

Fleur noticed Harry's breathing became steady, meaning that he had exhausted to the point of becoming sleepy. Then, what felt like the tenth time since becoming his bodyguard and girlfriend, her heart broke for him. With the daily dose of life-threatening situations since he was eleven, he also lived in a home that was not only loveless but full of hatred towards him. The public never sees the hero suffering behind the scenes; Harry has been put through so much of it since he was a baby.

Picking him up bridal style and carrying him up the stairs to the bedroom, Fleur gently laid Harry onto the bed, spreading the sheets over him. Fleur's lips formed a small smile at the thought of when she met him at the Dursley's and how much growth he has done since then—turning her head towards the window, which was frosted over, signaling another cold night. Walking over, Fleur swiped her hand over the glass, clearing the condensation off. She stared at her reflection. Her gaze hardened at the conviction of making sure Harry never goes back to that hellhole again.

The fire crackled in the background, basking the area in a warm glow; Fleur thought about getting Harry to gain the ability to control Magical Overdrive. But, with it being a touchy subject, Fleur knew that she would have to come at it from a different angle. Failing was not an option for Fleur, his trainer, and his girlfriend.

Fleur opened her mouth, yawning as the lateness of the night was getting to her. Then, slipping out her wand, Fleur transfigured her clothes into a sheer black negligee before climbing into bed. Harry turned in his sleep, latching onto her, cuddling up to her side before letting out a content sigh. This action caused a warm smile to spread across Fleur's lips; then, she wrapped her arms around Harry. Once she became comfortable, Fleur settled down and closed her eyes, making a silent promise to do whatever she could to prevent Harry from going back to the Dursleys.

A/N: Alright, that is the end of this chapter. I am sorry that this chapter took longer than expected to post; the usual stuff got in the way. I would love to hear what you all thought of this chapter. A quick note, with the abuse that Harry suffered through; I will get into better detail in a future chapter. I have not skipped over that part. Now, on to the responses.

|X|

Review Responses:

Perseus Emrys: Really? I did not know that as I just took the primitive knowledge of French that I knew. However, Since I am already 17 chapters into it, I will stick with how I write the accent until I finish, then go back and fix the accent after. I am glad that you like the story so far.

arata7kasuga: Again, Harry did not throw a Reductor Curse at Umbridge herself; it was at the chandelier. But, that will be the last time that I have Harry do that as it will get old. I am happy that you liked the time that he was at Fleur's house. I wanted to have Harry interact with the members more to get him more comfortable around the Delacours.

WildOnionTops: Thanks, I did my best to make the D.A. Meetings more realistic. However, I might screw that up at some point, haha.

I appreciate all of you so much to everyone else who read and reviewed!

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Please Read & Review, and I will see you all next time for more of The Guardian in 2022!

Swat303810 Signing Off!

*Posted on 1/11/2022*