There's some French in this, because I'm pretty sure Fleur doesn't stick to English when she's upset. My schoolgirl French is not up to her standard though, so I apologise for any mistakes. Translations at the end if you need them - I've tried to keep them pretty obvious from the context.

Moving Forward

Fleur continued to cling to Bill after they arrived back at Shell Cottage. He led her inside and to the settee and pulled her down beside him, holding her close. She was still shaking.

"Talk to me, love," he said quietly. "Why was holding Teddy so bad? I could see how upset you were."

Fleur gave a suppressed sob, and turned her face up to him. The glamour charm he had used on her earlier had worn off, and she was very pale.

" I do not know," she said shakily. "I sink – I just realised properly zat zit is un vrai bébé, qué nous aurons un vrai bébé. Ce n'est pas seulement un désagrément qui passera. Zere will be a real bébé zat we must care for and – and we must love, and I am not sure zat I can do zat." She began to cry, quietly and hopelessly, burying her face in Bill's chest, and he almost missed what she said next because it was so quiet

"I do not sink zat I will be une bonne maman."

"Oh love," Bill tightened his hold on her and stroked her hair. "You'll be a great mum, of course you will. And I don't think either of us will have any trouble loving this baby when it comes, because it will be ours, our baby."

He felt Fleur shake her head.

"I cannot imagine it," she said. "I cannot imagine even 'aving a baby, let alone wanting eet or loving eet." She began to sob then, clinging to Bill even more tightly.

"Being pregnant ees 'orrible," she sobbed. "Mais ce n'est pas la chose plus mauvaise. Ze worst sing is zat I do not want zis bébé at all."

Bill continued to hold her tightly, and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the back of the settee. The fact was that he could easily imagine having this baby, wanting it, even loving it. If Fleur was not so unhappy and so miserably sick, he could even imagine being excited about it.

But it was not him who was pregnant, whose health and career was affected, who was so unsure of their ability to have and to love a baby. He knew that Fleur would be a good mother when the right time came, but she had to know that too before it happened. She needed to be the one making the decisions here, and he would support her whatever she chose to do.

Fleur's sobs were quietening now, and Bill smoothed her hair back and kissed her gently.

"What do you want to do, love?" he asked. "You know I'll do whatever I can, but ultimately this has to be your decision."

"Eet-eet is your bébé tto," Fleur objected shakily.

"I know. But I'm not the one who's pregnant. This is so much harder for you than it is for me. I'll support you whatever you want to do. Whatever that is."

"I do not know. I wish zat I deed." Fleur pulled away from him, and sat back, scrubbing at her eyes with her fists. "I know zere are charms and potions zat I could use to end zis, zat it ees not too late for zat, but- but I 'ave always said I would never do zat."

"You've never been pregnant before," Bill pointed out reasonably. "You couldn't have known how you would feel."

"No, but…" Fleur shook her head in frustration. "I do not sink zere is anysing wrong in using zose charms and potions, but eet-eet would just be wrong for me. Does zat make sense, chéri?"

"I think so," Bill said slowly. "Which means that we have to find a way to help you come to terms with this pregnancy, and ultimately with having a baby. Our baby." He sighed. "I wish I could help you there, Fleur. I really do."

"I know," she said in a small voice. "I wish I could feel 'appy about zis as I should, but I cannot." She sighed. "Bill, I want…"

"What, love?"

"I want to do something normal. Something zat is not about ze baby or about me being pregnant. I want to walk along ze beach and 'ave a picnic."

Bill smiled. "I think we could manage that. But – a picnic? Are you sure about that?"

She managed to laugh. "Maybe not a proper picnic," she conceded. "Maybe some tea and ginger biscuits though. Do we 'ave any left?

"Yes, but only because I bought shares in the company," he said teasingly. "This baby is either going to adore ginger or hate it, the amount you're getting through."

They went into the kitchen, and while Fleur made a flask of tea, Bill unearthed some cups and a packet of ginger biscuits. Then they went out of the cottage along the garden to the clifftop and down the steep path to the beach. Ali, their half-grown tabby cat, followed them to the top of the path, then looked down with disdain at the beach, lifted his nose in the air, and stalked back to find a quiet place to sleep in the garden.

It was a lovely afternoon, but this part of the beach was so remote that they had it more or less to themselves. There was a Muggle family with buckets and spades halfway along, and a couple of teenagers walking a dog down near the water's edge, but that was all. Bill and Fleur walked along hand in hand, not talking much, but enjoying being together. At the far end of the beach, they found a flat rock to sit on, and Bill poured them both tea, while Fleur nibbled on a ginger biscuit.

"Okay love? he asked, passing her a cup, and she nodded.

"I am actually," she said, some surprise in her voice. "Zis is good. And I- I 'ave sought what I would like to do, but- but you might not like it."

"What?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"I want to talk to Maman," she said. "I know we said we would not tell our families yet, but I sink she will be able to 'elp maybe."

"I think she might," Bill said slowly. "I'm assuming you'd still prefer it if we don't tell my parents?"

"I would razzer not," she said apologetically. "I am sorry, Bill. I know zat is not fair, but…"

"It's fine," he assured her hastily, though he privately thought there was no one he would rather talk to about all this than his father. "If you think your mother can help, you should talk to her."

She nodded. "I will then. But I will not tell Gabrielle, or even Papa."

"Your dad knowing is fine, if you want to tell him," Bill said. "But definitely not Gabi. Keeping secrets is not her strongest point, is it?"

Fleur laughed. "No, eet is not," she admitted. "Bill – Audrey knows. She guessed when she saw us Apparate to Ze Burrow. She said 'er sister was like zat when she was pregnant."

"I rather thought she might have," Bill said. "And I think Hermione suspects too. Does Percy know?"

Fleur shook her head. "Non. She said zat she would not tell 'im or anyone else. Hermione will not tell anyone eizer I sink."

"No. No she wouldn't. Unlike Gabi, Hermione can keep a secret." He shifted over on the rock and put his arm around his wife. "Do you want any more tea? There's a bit left."

"No, I do not sink so. One cup is enough I sink. I would like to paddle in ze sea before we go 'ome though."

"Sounds like a plan," he said, packing the flask and the remains of the biscuit into a bag, and pulling his wand out to shrink them to fit into his pocket. "Let's go paddling."

Fleur smiled at him, and there was something in her smile that reminded him of the old Fleur before her unexpected pregnancy had turned their world and their plans upside down.

It had turned out to be a good day after all.

Translations:-

un vrai bébé, qué nous aurons un vrai bébé. - a real baby, that we will have a real baby

Ce n'est pas seulement un désagrément qui passera. - this is not only an inconvenience that will pass

une bonne maman - a good mum

Mais ce n'est pas la chose plus mauvaise - but it is not the worst thing