Bugger. Bill watched his sister disappear from his fireplace. A new boyfriend? That would make the evening interesting, to say the least, and Bill already had his own plans for the night.

Nevertheless, he grinned contemplatively as he strolled back toward the kitchen. He had to admit it was always fun trying to intimidate Ginny's boyfriends. He and his brothers, and Harry, who despite his own short relationship with Ginny now saw her as a sister, pretty much had it covered when it came to scary older brother.

There was Bill himself, who always casually mentioned the various ancient Egyptian curses he'd learned from working as a cursebreaker in the pyramids. He'd once threatened a boy with the 'Curse of Tutankhamen', though as far as he knew no such thing existed.

There was Charlie, who was rather visually intimidating with his muscular arms, covered in scars and tattoos. Potential suitors were never pleased to hear one of her brothers tamed dragons for a living.

There was Percy, who wasn't threatening in the least. But he worked at the Ministry, had the ear of the Minister himself, and it was always implied, by the others, that he could easily make a potential boyfriend disappear.

There were the twins, who Bill knew from experience could make life miserable if they chose. One never knew what was safe around Fred and George. Food, wands, hats – nothing was as it appeared. They had once dosed Ginny's boyfriend with one of their love potions and had him convinced for twenty-four hours he was in love with the portrait of Mrs. Black. Neither she nor Ginny were amused.

And Ron. Though Ron was probably the most overtly protective, he didn't necessarily possess many menacing qualities. But his best friend was Harry Potter, the man who had defeated Voldemort and now took down Dark Wizards for a living. That was enough.

Yes, Bill thought to himself gleefully as he headed for his wife's side, despite his wish for a happy evening, he was looking forward to 'getting to know' Ginny's date.

"Why did Ginny 'ave to leave so soon?" Fleur asked curiously.

"Apparently she has a date tonight," Bill said, grinning mischievously.

Fleur frowned. "Bill, please do not torture ze poor boy. I know what it is like to be disliked by ze family of your lover."

"But you stuck around and they love you now." Bill kissed her head, squeezing her shoulders. "Why should Ginny date someone who's scared away the first time he gets turned into a bird? I'm waiting for a man who'll stand up to us all."

"But is it fair to 'er?" Fleur countered. "Let Ginny make 'er own mistakes."

"I'm merely doing my duty as an older brother," Bill said. "It's in the code. I'm contractually obligated."

"Ze code?"

"The Code of the Big Brothers. It's unwritten, but we all know it."

Fleur laughed, a sound that had charmed Bill from the start. "You are going to be 'orrible when we have daughters, no?"

"I intend to be," he promised, and they shared a secret smile. "Are your parents ready? We should go soon if they want to make their Portkey."

"I believe so." Fleur walked to the bottom of the staircase and called up. "Maman! Avez-vous fini l'emballage?"

Fleur's mother answered, but as Bill's French was passable at best and only when spoken slowly, he couldn't figure out what she said. They continued to talk rapidly, and eventually Fleur walked upstairs. Shrugging, Bill began to search through their pile of presents underneath the Christmas tree for the two they had to bring tonight. They'd already exchanged with the Delacours and would with his family at the Burrow tomorrow, but for Harry's party everyone had drawn a Secret Santa name.

He had Harry and Fleur had McGonagall, which would be interesting. It took him some time to dig out the correct presents underneath all those for his siblings. Bill smiled as he put the two wrapped boxes into a bag to take with them. He and Fleur had already exchanged their presents, and one of them would be revealed to all tonight. Bill hadn't been this impatient for Christmas Eve to arrive since he was a small boy.

"Bill! We are ready to leave now." Fleur appeared around the corner, holding out his coat. "Allons-y! Ginny is not ze only one zat 'as a date, it appears."

"Oh? Gabi, who's the bloke?" he asked as a younger version of Fleur followed her big sister.

The French girl blushed. "Pierre. We go to Beauxbatons togezzer," she said in accented English. "We 'ave dinner tonight."

"Pierre. Sounds like one of those dashing French types. Does he have untamable dark hair and bright green eyes?" Bill teased her, referencing her longtime crush on Harry.

She blushed again. "Dark 'air, yes, but blue eyes. I 'ave given up on 'arry Potter, you know zat. She is very nice, 'is girlfriend."

"Bet you'd come running if he called."

"In a 'eartbeat."

"Gabrielle!" Fleur scolded, though a smile tugged at her mouth. "And William, do not encourage 'er. It is not becoming, to be so obvious."

"Ah, Fleur, we're just kidding. Harry already dated my sister. I don't think he wishes to repeat the experience."

"Yes, I am sure you are ze reason it did not work out," Fleur retorted.

"I'm sure as well," Bill said cheerfully. "That's why he went for Tonks. Only child and all."

"And not at all because she can look like Elle Macpherson or Kate Moss with a twitch of 'er nose."

"Not at all. It was all me," said Bill seriously. "Anyway, Fleur, I think we need to make a trip across the Channel soon. As the closest thing to a brother that Gabi has, it's my duty to meet this Pierre and terrify him within an inch of his life."

"Ignore my 'usband," Fleur told her sister dismissively. "Bill is all talk."

"Not all talk," he said in a low voice, kissing his wife's neck amid her giggles and Gabrielle's eye-rolling. However, he quickly stopped as footsteps sounded on the stairs.

After one more round of double checking the luggage, they Apparated to the Ministry in London and headed for the Portkey office on the sixth level. Normally the Ministry operated Portkey field offices all across the country, but all were closed due to the holiday.

"Hello," Bill greeted the lone employee in the office as he checked the register. "Have to work Christmas Eve? Wife must be out of sorts."

"Paid double, so the missus don't mind none," the man mumbled around the unlit cigar that occupied his mouth. "Here we go. Delacour, party o' three, Portkey to Paris at half past. Better say yer goodbyes."

After a flurry of "Au revoir!" and "Je t'aime!" and hugs and kisses (Bill much preferred a hearty English handshake to his father-in-law's exuberant hugs), all three Delacours took a hold of a large metal ring, awkwardly holding onto their luggage with their free hands, and then they were gone.

"Alright, love?" Bill asked his wife, taking her hand as they headed for the lift. Though they saw her family often, Bill knew living in England was hard on her.

"Never better, mon amour," she assured him, squeezing his hand.

"And you feel fine?"

"Never better." They smiled at each other again. "One set of parents down, one to go."

"Yes, and I'm so glad your mum isn't weepy like my own. You know she's going to burst into tears."

Fleur slyly glanced at Bill out of the corner of her eye as the lift began to ascend. "Per'aps it runs in ze family."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I recall spotting a tear or two at our wedding."

Bill looked wounded. "Were we at the same wedding? I did no such thing."

"If you say so," Fleur conceded in a sing-song voice that betrayed her true belief.

"You'll be the death of me, woman," Bill said, throwing an affectionate arm over her shoulders as they exited the lift. "I have a reputation to maintain, remember?"

Fleur merely leaned into his embrace, and they fell in step together. Halfway to the exit, Bill saw a man with brown hair and a round face seated near the bathrooms. "Neville?" he called.

The young man looked up in surprise. "Bill? Fleur? What are you doing here?"

"Just dropped Fleur's family off for their Portkey," Bill explained, giving him a hearty handshake. "You just get back? We must have just missed each other."

"I reckon so," Neville agreed, shyly returning Fleur's embrace.

"How was America, mate?"

"It was ... fulfilling," Neville said with a grin.

"Fulfilling?"

"Yeah, I –"

"We would love to hear about it, Neville, but we must go. We 'ave to go by our 'ouse before we 'ead to Grimmauld Place," Fleur interjected with an apologetic smile. "We will see you zere?"

"Of course. I'll tell you all about it tonight."

As they left, Neville resumed his seat on the bench. Bill furrowed his brow; he appeared to be waiting for someone, but Bill couldn't think of who. Well, perhaps his grandmother had met him. Letting it go, Bill followed his wife out the visitor's entrance, and they returned to Shell Cottage.

"Bill, please do not give your sister a difficult time tonight," Fleur pleaded as they changed. "No matter 'oo she is dating, even if it is ... Draco, for instance."

Bill laughed heartily. "Draco? Draco Malfoy? What in Merlin's name would my little sister want with him?"

"It was merely an example of someone 'oo might bother you. I do not want anyone upset when we tell our news."

"I promise I'll be the perfect gentleman," Bill promised. He held out his arm. "Shall we go, Mrs. Weasley?"

She giggled girlishly. "Oui. I 'ave been waiting for tonight."