Chapter 3

Fleur

A small meeting room close to the main hall at Gringotts. A large desk, stark black stone top. Walls bare, except for a nasty looking, double edged battle axe hanging on the wall behind the desk. Decoration, sure. But also a subtle threat. Master Silverjaw is sitting at a throne-like chair behind the desk, and I'm standing to his right, slightly behind him. Trying hard to look like a garish part of the decor. On top of the desk, the Star of Dawn, its malevolent beauty highlighted by the background. A couple of minutes past nine, the door opens and a witch walks in, followed by a small goblin in what appears to be an old-fashioned muggle business suit. The witch is a tall, aristocratic brunette, maybe a decade older than me, with brown eyes, a sharp blade of a nose and thin lips curled in a sneer. She is dressed in last year's acromantula finery. Small diamond earrings and a house ring complete the ensemble.

Master Silverjaw begins the meeting, in typical goblin fashion. "Lady Fawler. Have a seat."

She looks at the necklace first, a mix of satisfaction and regret in her face. She then approaches the desk and, ignoring Master's instruction, turns to me in a vicious tone. "What is this creature doing here?"

Master makes a menacing grumble and raises his voice to a sharp tone. "Sit down, Lady Fowler!"

There is a moment's pause, and after what appears to be a heated inner debate, caution wins over arrogance and she complies. Still, she continues in a thin elevated tone. "You must remove this foul creature..."

Master roars. "Enough!" She shuts up. Bullies are easy to scare. "This is Apprentice Curse Breaker Weasley, a valued employ of Gringotts. Her presence is required, as she is the one who examined your property."

Her voice drips contempt. "The only thing these whores know or care about is rutting. Why should I listen to anything she says?"

I manage to remain impassive throughout the exchange, although my fingers begin to curl into claws and a dusting of feathers appears on my neck. "You hired Gringotts to examine and eventually remove the enchantments on this necklace. How we choose to do the job is our concern alone."

She begins to get up and reaches for the necklace. Master nods to her escort and he places a hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down. "Unhand me immediately."

"You will remain seated until our business is concluded. I remind you the treaty allows Gringotts to confiscate your property for negotiating in bad faith."

She grinds her teeth in glares at both myself and Master Silverjaw with utter hatred.. "Very well, goblin! What is the result of the so-called examination your valued whore supposedly performed?"

"Go ahead, Apprentice."

I manage to get a hold of myself and describe, with the frostiest demeanor I can find, the four-layered enchantment in lay terms. Master grunts approvingly a couple of times, and the hatred in the woman's eyes turns into naked satisfaction and greed.

At the end, she tries again to get up and reach for the necklace, and again, she is stopped short. She screeches. "What? I'll take my property now! You can remove the five-hundred-galleon fee for your work from my vault."

Satisfaction drips from Master's voice. "That will not be possible."

"Why?" She screams.

"The 1792 treaty forbids it. Any item found to contain malicious enchantments must either be cleansed or be turned in to the DMLE. The language surely applies to this necklace."

At this stage, I'm actually enjoying myself. A loud, and truly foul stream of expletives follows. I actually learn an expression or two. Finally, she tires of screaming at a group of impassive faces and gives up. "Very well. Remove the enchantments. You can take the thousand galleon fee and shove it."

She gets up and, this time, nobody stops it. Master grumbles in amusement and talks to her back. "Actually, our fee will be two thousand galleons."

She turns back. "What? You are a just pack of fucking th..."

Master slaps the table, with a sharp crack. "Do not use that word here! We will toss you in the arena, and you can duel a Goblin warrior with your hands and teeth." He grins, showing her a mouthful of sharp needle-like teeth. "Wizards and witches sully the Nation's honor at their peril. Your contract clearly specifies the double fee clause in case the enchantment was complex and dangerous to break."

The threat of dueling a goblin barehanded appears to chill her temper a little. Her shoulders sag, and she looks tired. "Very well, goblin. What is the Nation's appraisal for the necklace?"

"Twenty-two thousand five hundred galleons." Nearly a quarter-million pounds in muggle money. A lot less than a similar historical jewel would fetch in the muggle world, but fair as far as I know.

"Can you handle the sale?"

"Of course. Five percent fee up to appraisal, thirty percent for anything above that."

She rallies. "You've already made too much gold at my family's expense. Make it two and ten and you've got a deal."

"Three and twenty."

"Two-and-a-half and twenty." She implicitly agrees the appraisal is realistic.

"The Bank accepts. Master turns to the attending goblin. Account Manager Slogath, have a contract prepared for the consignment." The small goblin bows "Right away, Chief Curse-Breaker."

He turns to me and nods. I take a wooden box from a deep pocket in my robes and place the necklace inside, and put it away. Master leaves quietly, and I follow. The silent departure is yet another subtle goblin insult.

As we walk down the corridor, he speaks without turning to me. "Get to it, Apprentice. Call me when you're done."

"Right away, Master."

It's an exacting bit of work, and, with food and bathroom breaks, it takes me to early evening to finish. I call for Master Silverjaw, exhausted and proud. He picks up the necklace and examines it minutely, grunting and huffing for a few minutes. "Good work. A thousand galleon bonus will be deposited in your vault."

I feel myself blush. Kind words are one thing. Hard currency... "Thank you, Master."

"Congratulations, Junior Curse Breaker Weasley. Excellent job."

It takes a few seconds for it to register. I very nearly jump forward and hug the old goblin. It's been a little over three years. Only half the people they hire ever make it, and it usually takes four or five years.

I open and close my mouth a couple of times. I must maintain decorum, I must! Master is quietly observing me, gauging my reaction. I manage to get a hold of myself. I bow deeply, showing my appreciation and respect. "I thank you and the Nation for the honor, Chief."

He makes a grinding noise. "The Nation appreciates talent and effort, young veela." He walks slowly towards the entrance hall and I follow. "The bank has come into the possession of several wizarding manors that are currently inaccessible through magical hiding and warding. Take a week off, and use the time to review residential and home-vault ward-breaking."

He stops walking near a door, and I decide to be a little daring. "I would like to go see my 'usband, if eet's not inconvenient."

He stops and thinks a bit. "His team is staying in a muggle yacht called 'Mimosa', anchored close to their work site. A two-way portkey will be made available to you with your Account Manager at Gringotts Paris." He rumbles in amusement. "For a small fee, of course."

How did he know I was planning to go to Paris? I sense there is a deeper purpose at play, and it scares me. My cute little arse is the very definition of disposable.

I bow again. "May ze blood of your enemies grace your blade, and your vaults fill with plunder, Chief."

"May skill and luck favor you on your endeavors, Curse-breaker."

Harry

The store is cramped and dark. Dozens of owls and a few other birds in cages along one wall. Food, empty cages and other bird paraphernalia are scattered about. The presence of all the caged raptors makes Braddock a little nervous.

Behind a counter at the back, a middle-aged wizard is reading today's Prophet. He speaks without lifting his eyes from the paper. "Good morning. How can I help you?"

"Good morning, Jacob."

He drops the paper and breaks into a broad smile. "By Merlin's beard, it's good to see you, Harry! It's been a long time. You've grown."

Nearly a foot, as a matter of fact. It's been over four years. "Too long." Braddock flaps his wings in greeting. "This is Braddock."

As he looks at the raven, he jumps on the counter and starts pecking at a stack of sickles. "This is one beautiful bird, Harry."

"He's a wild one. Needs the mail-owl enchantment."

"Ah, of course. A long time ago, people used ravens for messages as often as owls, you know?"

"No I didn't."

"Yes. Damned clever birds, ravens. Carrion eaters. Easier to feed than raptors." He grabs a couple of owl treats from a basket and drops them in front of Braddock. "They will eat just about anything."

I laugh a bit, thinking of Braddock happily picking maggots out of a slice of pizza, forgotten on the ground, next to a dumpster. "I've noticed."

"They became a bird of ill-omen. Utter rubbish, you see. For one, ravens make great pets. They are much more sociable than raptors."

"I've noticed he spends a lot more time around me than my owl used to do."

"Raptors are solitary birds. ravens like groups. Also, they mate for life. At some point you should find yourself adding a female raven to your family."

I laugh. "I see."

"About the enchantment. It's actually a minor ritual. It will take me about forty minutes to perform. Do you have any other business in the Alley?"

"Not really. Couldn't I watch?"

He shrugs. "Sorry. Guild secret."

"All right. I'll come back soon."

As I leave the store, I pull up the hood of my cloak. I find that enough to keep people from mobbing me.

I window-shop, mostly checking out the new Nimbus 2010 at Quality Quiddich Supplies. It looks pretty, but I'm not even a bit tempted. I'm just riding my Firebolt until one of us falls apart.

When I walk back into Eelops, Braddock is frantic, flapping and cawing madly.

"What is it?" I look at Jacob, and he's sweating and looking very uncomfortable. A brush of legillimency and I get the image of a floo call and mention of my name. He tries to take out his wand, but before he can point if, Braddock grabs it from his hand and flies to my shoulder.

"Ruddy bird, give that back..."

I point Jacob's wand back at him, and push enough magic to get the point glowing green. "Who did you call?"

He soils himself. The answer comes both from his mouth and his mind. "D-d-death eaters..."

A chill runs down my spine. I don't know how long I have. Maybe just seconds. I break Jason's wand in half and use mine to stun and bind him. A slight shiver tells me an anti-portkey area spell is in place. There's a small fireplace at the back of the store. I run there, grab a pinch of powder and toss it in. "DMLE." A second's delay until someone shows. "Death eaters. Diagon Alley. Eelops."

A crash from the front of the store, and two figures in black robes and masks walk in. I hide for a second in the shadows while their eyes adjust to the penumbra. They startle when I cast a pair of silent bone breakers at their legs. One of them cast a shield just in time to save them, while the other finds me from the spell light and casts a well-aimed death curse. Gloves off, then.

I dodge and cast a strong bombarda at the ground in front of them. The explosion throws a lot of dust and stone debris in the air. The shield protects them from the worse of the explosion, but they are pushed towards the front of the store and separate a bit. The shield of the defensive partner flickers but holds. However, it no longer protects the other fellow. He's in the middle of casting another death curse, when my cutting spell shears off both his legs at the mid-thigh and effectively ends his participation in the ambush.

The remaining fellow decides to trust in his shield, probably expecting further reinforcements. A poor tactic. Even though I'm not using unforgivables, there are plenty of offensive spells which will shred a protego shield like rice paper. A turkish acid curse from the Potter grimoire goes right through the shield, and has the fellow's screams joining his partner's in seconds.

A couple of seconds later a third death eater crosses the threshold and begins throwing dark curses blindly towards the back of the store. I can't really see details through the glare from the street and the dust in the air, but I know exactly who it is by the speed of casting and choice of spells. I'm facing Antonin Doholov. The deadliest of Tom's little munchers after Bellatrix.

I was already the strongest fighter in school at the end of fifth year, and I could probably handle a trained auror or most inner circle death eaters in a straight fight by the Battle of Hogwarts. Removal of the horcrux and full access to the Black and Potter grimoires made me stronger and added to my battle spell mix, but I'd still be in trouble if facing the toughest and most experienced fighters on either side. I'm not fully educated. I'm not really battle trained and I'm a bit out of shape. And now I'm facing the scariest monster left out there. I know I'm definitely outclassed, and I would gladly run away if I could. If only I could.

The aurors are coming, so playing for time is not a bad strategy. Trouble is, my opponent knows that as well as I do. He casts a lumos maxima, which blinds me for an instant and reveals my precise position, hunching in the shadows. I dodge, half by instinct, as three dark curses bracket my position. A near miss still lights a line of fire on my wand arm. I banish most of the loose content of the store at him, followed by an overpowered piercing spell and a jelly-legs jinx. He shields the debris, and dodges the jinx, but the piercer breaks his shield and grazes his torso.

He transfigures three large dogs and sets them at me and continues to fling dark curses. I keep dodging, shielding and sending a mix of battle spells, including some dark stuff from the family magics and I conjure a flame whip to deal with the dogs. I manage to remove the legs of two of them, but the third jumps at my throat. I conjure a wooden shield, which deflects the dog and gets reduced to splinters by a bone exploder. I'm on the defensive and losing badly. A cutting curse disposes of the last dog, but not before it manages to bite me in the leg and, as I'm unable to dodge, a bone exploder destroys my left shoulder. I fall to my knees, as the pain of the combined injuries overwhelms me. My vision turns dark, and I see Braddock attack Doholov, distracting him for an instant. I gather everything I have left in one bludgeoner aimed at his torso. I cast, and I see him slap Braddock away and cast a dense-looking shield before darkness falls.

Fleur

I step out of the fireplace, cleaning myself with a spell. I can hardly wait to tell him about it. I call him, not too loud. I don't want to disturb Andromeda or the baby. Winky pops next to me, a concerned look in her face.

"I'm sorry, Mistress Fleur. Master Harry is not here."

I misunderstand her worried expression. "Is 'e going to come back soon?"

"No, Mistress, Master Harry is in St. Mungo. There was an attack and he got hurt."

To my shame, I panic. I sit on the floor and rest my head on my knees, breathing hard. I do not care for a world without Harry Potter in it. Finally I recover a bit of balance and speak to the elf, whispering through my teeth. "Is 'e going to be ok?'

"Yes mistress. He said to tell you everything is fine. He asked you look after Teddy and Mistress Andromeda tonight."

"Where is Teddy?"

"His crib, mistress. I just put him there."

I climb the stairs and enter the nursery. Teddy is still awake, quietly babbling to himself. When he sees me he smiles, turns his hair to white and holds out his arms to be picked up. "Shh, non." His lip twists, threatening to cry. "You're a leetle devil, aren't you?' I caress his head and he calms down. I sing him an old french lullaby, repeating from the start a couple of times, and putting just a tiny bit of magic in it. He falls asleep, just like the green welsh in the first task.

I check on Andromeda, who is sitting on her bed, eyes closed. I turn off the electrical light in her room and leave a conjured blue flame bubble on top of her dresser. She doesn't move.

I come back down and find Winky in the kitchen, scrubbing a pot. "They are quiet now. I'm going to St. Mungos."

"Don't you want dinner first, Mistress?"

"No, thank you. I'll eat something when I come back."

+O+O+O+O+

I'm directed to a room on the third floor. Two aurors stand guard at the door.

I direct myself to one of them. "My name is Fleur Weasley, and I'm 'ere to see 'arry Potter."

"I'm sorry, m'am. Only family allowed."

I put on my professional face and ask coldly. "What is your name, auror?"

"Bugley Jones and my partner is Artin Crowley, m'am."

I nod. "Mr. Potter's family is an eight-month-old infant and a bedridden older witch, Mr. Jones. I'm taking care of them while he is incapacitated. I believe that makes me his next-of-kin, at least for now."

He nods. "Just one moment, m'am." He shares a glance with his partner. Then he opens the door and goes inside the room. Three seconds later, Kingsley Shacklebolt walks out.

"Fleur! What are you doing here?"

I frown at him "I came to see 'arry, Minister."

"All right, but why you? Where is Bill?"

"Bill is away at a dig. I've been 'elping 'arry taking care of Andromeda and Teddy, and preparing for 'is NEWTs."

Kingsley looks sharply at me. "What's wrong with Mrs. Tonks?"

"She 'ad a mental breakdown on Sam'ain. 'arry 'as been taking care of 'er and ze baby since."

"And why Harry?"

I shrug. "You will 'ave to ask 'im. About today, what 'appened? Is 'e awake? Is 'e ok?"

Kingsley looks surprised. "Haven't you heard?"

I get annoyed. "I've been busy."

The Minister smiles. "You'll know soon enough. And he's going to be fine." He steps aside. "Go ahead."

It's a pretty standard hospital room. A small window faces the street outside, white walls, a few cabinets and a bed at the center. Harry is sitting on the bed, left arm immobilized and looking dazed. A man in auror robes stands further away. Braddock is perched on the headboard of the bed, looking at me. Harry's eyes focus on me, and he produces a small, pained smile. "Fleur."

My mind spins in place. He is hurt! And he is fine! I walk forward fast and grab him in a soft embrace. He flinches a bit, but relaxes. I whisper "What 'appened, leetle boy?"

He pushes me back a bit, so he can see my face. His dismay is obvious. "The usual, I guess. Got in trouble." He glances at the raven. "Got help, got lucky. I survived. They didn't. He embraces me back. "I thought I was done with this shit."

From my back, Kingsley clears his throat. "There was an ambush this morning at Eelops Emporium. Four robed and masked death eaters, helped by the store minder, tried to kill Harry. The store owner survived. The leader of the attack, one Antonin Doholov, thought he could duel our friend one-on-one. We're still scraping his remains off the Alley's walls."

I can't hide my astonishment. "Do'olov!" I turn back to face the Minister. "What is eet? Is eet starting again?"

"We don't believe so. It looks like straight revenge for the death of their Dark Lord, together with the mistaken assumption that Harry's defeating him was either luck or happenstance."

Harry laughs bitterly. "They were not mistaken. It was both luck and happenstance."

The Minister shakes his head. "Nevertheless, they will not be eager to try again."

Harry shrugs. "Or, next time, they'll bring a bloody army." A silence ensues, which Harry breaks in a fake cheerful tone. "Where are my manners? Fleur Weasley, meet Gawain Robarts, Head Auror."

The man gives a shallow bow. "Mrs Weasley. Pleased to meet you."

I reply with a bow of my own. "Pleased to meet you as well, Auror Robarts."

In a more serious tone, Harry continues. "Thank you for coming, Fleur."

I make a gesture of dismissal. "Eets nothing. I 'ave news." I turn to Kingsley. "Will you give us a moment?"

Kingsley smiles. "Of course." He turns to the auror. "In fact, are we done here?"

"I believe so, sir. Except for the wands."

"Ah, yes.". He picks a long, thin box out of his pocket and sets it on the bedside table. "We'll be taking our leave, then." They shake hands with Harry, bow to me, and depart.

Harry watches door closing and turns to me. "Tell me."

"I'm ze new Junior Curse-Breaker."

"Wow, Fleur. Congratulations! That was pretty fast, wasn't it?"

I let my pride show a bit. "Eet usually takes four to five years."

"Nice. The Goblet knew what it was doing when it picked you."

"Of course." A small pause. "Do'olov, hm?"

He deflates a bit. "I was badly outmatched, Fleur."

"Maybe you should train, non? Besides, I'm sure eet wasn't just luck?"

"Maybe." He shakes his head and his eyes become wet with unshed tears. "I just want to raise my godson. I don't want to kill anymore."

"Shh." I touch a finger to his lips. "No whining."

A thin smile. "Right."

"I 'ave a week off. I'm traveling. France, to see my parents, and Greece, to see William."

"When are you going?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'll ask Tante Anais to come see you 'ere. I've keyed 'er into the wards at Shell Cottage. She can stay zere. Do you know when you can get out?"

"They said tomorrow afternoon."

I nod. "I'll spend ze night at your place."

"Thank you."

I point at the box with my chin. "What's zat?"

He grabs the box and opens it. There are two wands inside. One is a charred, broken ruin, with pieces of a partially burned red feather core showing. The other is a thick dark wand with the handle sculpted into a cat. "My wand didn't make it. We were not well-matched anymore, and I pushed a lot of magic through with my last spell this morning. "

"Ah! That will do it. I'm sorry."

"I needed a new wand anyways. The other one was Doholov's" He picks it up and grimaces.

"Will eet work?"

"It's not a match. But I did vanquish its owner in battle, so it will probably serve." He waves it in a circular pattern. "Orchideous" A single white lily appears, which he offers to me.

"Thank you." I smell it and whisper. "La fleur de lys."

"What?"

"Eet's ze symbol of France."

"It's my mum's name too." I must have looked puzzled. "Lily."

"Ah. I didn't know zat." Our eyes meet, and I lose myself for a bit.

I feel my face warm. He laughs, and the moment is lost. "What?"

"I thought veelas didn't blush."

"Not easily, I suppose." I frown at him. "Where did zat come from?"

"Gabrielle. Your wedding. I gave her a peck in the forehead and she got red as a tomato. I teased her a bit, and then she told me: You're silly. Veelas don't blush."

We both laugh. "I miss 'er."

"I'm going to miss you, Curse-Breaker Weasley.."

I smile and shrug. It's going to take a little time before that sinks in. "Eet's just a week."

Hermione

It's a delicate balance. Enough pain to keep my demons away, enough pleasure to keep my boyfriend coming back. Even thinking about it, planning it, helps. So here we are. I'm entertaining my boyfriend for the third time, and I'm actually somewhat pleased with myself.

He's naked, tied up taut in a Y shape, hands to the the canopy supports and feet tied together to the frame itself. The ropes are dark blue silk, and they look very nice against his white freckled skin. I've silenced him, and I've cast a weak numbing spell on the right place, so things may last a satisfying long time.

I'm also naked, straddling him while impaled, and very slowly moving up and down, front and back, while dripping hot wax from a white candle on his chest. I've been at it for half an hour or maybe a little more. His chest is close to completely covered in dried wax, and I've come already twice, getting very close to a third. My crazy anger is a quiet murmur in the back of my mind. By the quiet bucking under me, he may be coming also, very soon.

A slight popping sound, and Kreacher stands next to the bed, looking his usual lugubrious self.

"I'm busy, Kreacher."

He gives a shallow bow. "My apologies. Master Black asks his Mudblood to come to St. Mungos to see him."

I find myself embarrassingly pleased being Harry's Mudblood. I've probably been around Kreacher too much. "St. Mungos, hm?" The prat has gotten himself hurt again. Not too hurt, if he's sending Kreacher so casually.

The distraction drags me away from the edge, but I'm nothing if not resourceful. I give the candle to Kreacher and climb off. With one hand, I finish myself off, while with the other hand and my mouth, I finish Ron as well. By the buckling, he rather enjoys it.

"Kreacher, will you do me a favor?"

He gives me a suspicious look. "What does the Mudblood want?"

"Just keep dripping wax on the Blood Traitor. Slowly. Concentrate on his thighs. I'm going to take a quick shower and I'll be right back."

Kreacher's smile would freak out a stone statue. I kiss Ron, deeply, and he returns the kiss, with less than stellar enthusiasm. I caress his face as I leave."Just take it, sweety. It's for the Greater Good."

When I get out, Ron is straining against the ropes, while a gleeful Kreacher designs a cute lace pattern with wax on Ron's left thigh. "Thank you, Kreacher. Excellent job."

He bows a little deeper than before. "The Mudblood is a worthy ally of House Black." and pops out.

I scourgify Ron, vanish the ropes and cancel the silencio. With the wax gone, a mottled pattern of redness is left on his skin. The numbing spell will disappear on its own. Ron sits up and looks expectantly at me, waiting for orders. Shaping up nicely. "Go to the Gryffindor tower. You may wait for me at the common room. If I get back before eleven, I'll swing by and report."

He does a slow dip with his head, similar to Kreacher's bows. I stand on tippy toes and give him a peck on the lips as he walks out.

I walk fast to the Hospital Wing. As it's not curfew yet, a few students are still moving about. On the way, I cast a messenger Patronus, to inform the Headmistress and the Head Boy that I'm going to St. Mungos for a few hours. When I get there, Poppy is the only one around, sitting at her desk reading a book. She lifts her eyes and looks at me levelly. "Pleasant evening, Miss Granger. How can I help you?"

"Harry is at St. Mungos. Do you mind if I use your Floo for a quick visit?" The Hospital Wing's floo has a dedicated connection to St. Mungos.

She opens a drawer and gets out a small container of floo powder. "Serve yourself, dear."

I pick up a pinch. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." As I walk towards the fireplace, she continues. " Please tell the boy I am very disappointed. He is supposed to take better care of himself, now that he is not a student anymore."

I can't help it but agree. "Will do, m'am."

The floo trip is much less wrenching than usual. The connection has probably been specially designed to transport critical patients. I end up in a large room, with a couple of uniformed mediwitches running worriedly towards me. As I'm alone and I don't appear hurt, they stop and look annoyed. One of them speaks."This is an emergency floo. What do you want?"

"I apologize. I'm coming from Hogwarts to see a friend. I thought this would be the simplest way to get here."

"Oh, it's alright. Just try to avoid it in the future. You're Granger, right? Here to see Potter, I presume." I nod. "He's at a room on the third floor. The one with the aurors at the door." She points at a pair of double door to one side. "Get out through those doors and take the stairs to the left."

"Thank you."

I'm recognized as I approach the door. One of the auror steps inside and out comes Fleur. I stiffen up, my anger rising swiftly. What is she doing here? "Hermione!" She walks up to me, a pleasant smile on her face. "What was ze name of ze goblin?"

I frown. A security question. Goes with the aurors, I guess. "Griphook."

"Come on in."

I see Harry sitting on the bed, and it's like a huge weight is lifted from my shoulders. I smile, forgetting all my concerns, including Fleur's odd presence. "Hi."

"Hi." He seems as glad to see me as I am to see him. I notice the raven perched at the headboard, staring curiously at me. Harry follows my sight and his smile broadens. "I believe introductions are in order. Braddock, familiar. Meet Hermione, best friend."

The raven caws and bobs, like he's greeting me. Not knowing how to greet a bird properly, I curtsie a bit, which sets both Harry and Fleur snickering. "A raven familiar, Harry? People are already afraid you're the next dark lord..."

Fleur's snickering turns to laughter. "Zat's right. Make your 'air longer, use a white tunic and put Braddock in your shoulder. Voila! Morgan le Fey is reborn."

"Nothing wrong with that. She is my ancestress, after all."

That awakes my curiosity. "Really? How do you know?"

"Potter grimoire. One of Morgan's granddaughters married a Peverell."

No surprise. Harry has become a voracious little bookworm over the years. "Ah. Fun reading?"

"It's actually fascinating. So much family dirt... Some nifty spells and rituals too."

I shake my head and sigh. "A book I'll never read."

He adds in a light tone. "Unless you accept a certain ring from me."

I look him in the eyes, somewhat annoyed. "Why? Are you offering?"

He seems utterly unfazed. "Maybe."

I growl at him. "I hate you, Harry Potter."

"And I love you too, Squeeze."

Fleur is staring at us, confused. "I am clearly out of my depth 'ere. Do you two lovebirds want some privacy?"

I turn to the veela and raise my voice. "He is just teasing me. We've been over this. We don't feel like this about one another!"

He snickers again, the jackass. "Not girlfriend material, sure. But I think you'd make a great wife."

I turn to him and scream. "Right! You know I'll do anything for you, you idiot. You want me? Just ask. I'll marry you tomorrow and have a dozen Potter babies." I can feel tears coming down. "Stop playing with me."

Fleur grabs his attention by touching his shoulder. "Zis is serious, 'arry. No joking matter."

He finally understands. "I-I am sorry. It's just that I miss you. A lot."

I conjure another chair and plop myself down. "And how do you think I feel?"

"Sorry."

"It's alright. You're forgiven." We exchange a weak smile.

Fleur has a relieved smile too. "I really should be going..."

I touch her hand. "Please, stay. I'm sorry for the spectacle. I still want to know what happened." That's when I see the wand lying on the stand. Thick, dark wood, handle shaped like a cat. It takes me just a moment to recognize it. I have a pink scar from left shoulder blade to right hip as a reminder. My throat constricts, so I barely squeeze out. "You killed him."

"Yup." Harry tells both of us the details of this morning's failed ambush.

"Bloody..."

"Merde..."

"I'm alive."

I shake my head. "You were lucky. As always." I look at Braddock. "And you had help."

"Right."

"We know you're very powerful, 'arry. But you need training."

"I know. I went over this with Kingsley. As soon as the doctors clear me, I'm to report to the Ministry for hit-wizard training. No strings attached. He said I can set up a schedule that suits me and even substitute my NEWTs for training evaluations."

Fleur looks a little sad. "So you won't need my 'elp anymore?"

"I can still use the company. And maybe you can teach me something else, like French, or Runes."

"Of course. You used wandless legillimency on ze store owner, right?"

"Yes. Hermione and I have been self-studying the mind arts for a while, using a couple of books from the Black library." I nod in confirmation.

"I wouldn't mind learning a bit of zat. Veela have a natural talent for ze mind arts, but we still require study."

"And I would love to join you when classes are out."

"Zat's fine." Fleur gets up, kisses Harry cheek and shakes my hand. "Tante Anais should be 'ere tomorrow by lunch time. And I'll see you in a week. And 'ermione, I guess I'll see you over Christmas break, hm?"

"I don't have anywhere to go. I was planning to stay at the castle, maybe just go to the Burrow for Christmas dinner."

"I'm moving to Grimmaulds Place. I think Andromeda's house is not safe right now. You could stay with us. There's plenty of room."

"I'd be very happy to do that, Harry. Thanks"

"Au revoir, you two."

After Fleur leaves we exchange a long look, without quite knowing where to start. Then we laugh at our discomfort. "All right, first, who is Tante Anais?"

"She's the mind healer."

"Ah." I think about asking for a consultation. I know there's something wrong with me, but I don't want to get into that with Harry. He's got more than enough on his plate. "Second, where did Braddock come from? I'm sure there's a story there."

Harry laughs. "You're right about that..."