Hey, everyone! Mystery Critic here, back with chapter nineteen of Ma Fleur! I've really been enjoying writing again, and as of now, the updates will be every two weeks. I know that's a bit of a wait, but patience is a virtue. Not a very good one, but it still is one. Let's say thank you to the amazing new beta of the story who is working extremely hard to get all the previous chapters fixed. He's amazing! As for the disclaimer, I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the rights affiliated with it. Anywho, grab your Sugar Quills and your Ogden's Firewhiskey, and enjoy chapter nineteen!

Chapter 19

Italics – French

The next few days pass in relative normality, considering the fallout of the famous Golden Trio. Harry goes to breakfast each morning with Fleur now that he is permanently residing in her apartment. Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, Hermione always sits on his left while Fleur takes her place on his right and Neville across from them. Smiling at the memory of the confrontation the day before, Harry turns to see Professor McGonagall glaring playfully at him.

Flashback, the day prior...

McGonagall stalks up to Harry and taps his shoulder, glaring down at him over her crossed arms. Harry gulps audibly when he sees her, stuttering as he addresses her. "Um, yes, P-Professor?"

"Mr. Potter, it has come to my attention that not only are you no longer residing in Gryffindor Tower. I have also heard from Mr. Weasley that you also attacked him without provocation." Her scowl intensifies as she drums her finger against her arm. "Care to explain?"

The group of students turns to Ron with heated glares, a smirk on his face. "I don't know what Ron told you, Professor," Hermione interjects, her hand twitching towards her robes, wanting nothing more than to hex him into oblivion. "But our actions were far from unprovoked. The things Mr. Weasley said would make anyone retaliate."

"Oh? And what did Mr. Weasley say that warranted such actions?" She questions, her scowl lessening as she directs her ire towards the youngest male Weasley. "What could he have said that made you throw him into a wall with the amount of force you did?"

"Oh, nothing much," Hermione snarls, her voice dripping with venom. "Just calling Harry a liar, a spotlight hog, a piece of shit dark wizard who's no better than You-KNow-Who, and telling him..."

Harry wraps his arm around Hermione's shoulder as she reaches towards her wand. "Hermione, stop." He says, stopping her and hugging her to him. "He's not worth getting into any more trouble."

"Ms. Granger, I have never seen you this upset," McGonagall observes worriedly. "What could he have possibly said that still has you this angry?"

"He told Harry that he should have died with his parents!" She yells, eliciting a gasp from most of the people around them. Hermione pulls her wand out faster than most people could, only to have Harry snatch it from her hand. Growling, she points at him, and Ron raises his arms protectively. "He said that he belongs in the ground next to his parents!"

"I have no idea what she's talking about, Professor!" Ron squeaks, sliding further away down the bench. "She's lying! I didn't say anything!"

"If she was lying, zen she would not be zis upset." Fleur scoffs, glaring at the redhead. "Anyone could see zat she is too angry to be lying."

"No one asked you, Frenchy!" Ron snaps before covering up his mouth as McGonagall turns on him.

"Mr. Weasley!" She snaps before hearing the lightning crackling around Harry, Fleur, and Hermione. Forgetting about the punishment for a moment, she places a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, please calm down. I promise this will not go unpunished. What he has said is unacceptable, and far from schoolyard insults."

Sighing, Harry takes a few deep breaths, the lightning dissipating before she turns back towards Ron. "Well, what about him?" He snaps, pointing at Harry. "He threw me into a wall!"

"There was no lasting damage according to Madame Pomfrey, and I will be taking points and assigning detention for his actions, but that was nothing compared to what you said to him. A month's detention with Mr. Filch for your comments, and twenty-five points for lying to me." Turning away from a fish-impersonating Ron Weasley, she gently frowns at Harry. "I'm afraid that's twenty points for attacking Mr. Weasley and detention with me for the next two Saturdays, Mr. Potter."

"I understand, Professor." Harry accepts, smiling up at her. "I won't say I'm sorry I did it, but I will happily take those punishments."

"I had imagined as such, Mr. Potter." She answers, smiling warmly. "However, don't think that you still won't be coming by every Saturday, anyway. You still have unofficial detentions with me until the fifteenth of April."

"Oh, I suppose I can endure the torture of your company every Saturday until April." He sighs dramatically, placing the back of his hand against his forehead. "Oh, woe is me!"

"You were saying about next year, Mr. Potter?" She smirks, walking away.

"I'll behave." He says quickly, straightening up and placing his hands in his lap.

"I'll see you on Saturday, Mr. Potter."

Flashback end...

Chuckling to himself, Harry shakes his head before placing a few slices of bacon and a piece of toast on his plate.

"What's so funny, Harry?" Hermione asks, staring at him in confusion.

"Nothing, Hermione," He says, chuckling once more. "Just remembering what happened yesterday at breakfast with Professor McGonagall."

Giggling, Hermione shakes her head and smacks him on the shoulder. "You still got in trouble, you know."

"I know, but it was completely worth it." He admits, winking at a stern-faced Professor McGonagall. The corner of her lip twitches upwards for a moment, but she keeps her composure and continues eating her meal. "Besides, what am I missing out on Saturday evenings?"

"Potential time wiz me, mon amour." Fleur pouts playfully, snuggling up to him. "I like to spend evenings wiz you cuddling in bed."

"In bed?!" Hermione shrieks in a whisper, staring at the two in shock. "Are you two-"

"No, Hermione!" Harry interrupts her, waving his hands and blushing. "I swear, we're just sleeping and cuddling!"

"It could be a lot more, but you're no fun." Fleur teases, kissing his cheek lovingly. "Alas, I must wait until you are ready, ma cheri. 'Owever, they do say good zings come to zose 'ho wait."

Sighing in relief, Hermione catches on after a moment and shakes her head. "You two are incorrigible. How am I ever going to fall in love with you two hogging all the pheromones in the country?"

"Hey, we aren't that bad!" Harry whines at his friend. "You're supposed to be on my side, Hermione! Neville, tell her that Fleur and I aren't that bad?"

"Mate, Hermione's right," The young man jokes, just walking up to them. "you're so bad, I feel squeamish just being around you two lovebirds."

"Well, zat is why we are taken and you two are single." Fleur jibes, sticking her tongue out at them.

"Real mature, Fleur," Hermione says, shaking her head and opening up a book to hide her smile. After a few moments, a shriek penetrates the air before a large brown owl lands in front of Harry, a red envelope clutched in its beak. "Is that a Howler?"

Taking the envelope from the owl, Harry opens it to hear Mrs. Weasley's voice sound throughout the entire Great Hall. "HARRY JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY RONALD! YOU TWO HAVE BEEN THE BEST OF FRIENDS SINCE YOU MET, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REACT WHEN HE SAYS SOME HARMLESS WORDS IN ANGER?! I DO NOT LIKE THE MAN YOU ARE BECOMING, AND I BLAME THAT FRENCH HARLOT! I HOPE YOU COME TO YOUR SENSES AND APOLOGIZE TO RONALD BECAUSE HE DID NOTHING WRONG! UNTIL YOU DO, YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN THIS HOUSE, YOUNG MAN! I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!"

Upon finishing, the Howler bursts into flames leaving a shocked Harry in its wake. Fleur stands up and grabs Harry's hand, practically dragging him up to McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Not to worry, Miss Delacour," Dumbledore says placatingly, raising a hand to interrupt the ensuing explosion. "We shall adjourn to my office to use the floo and talk to Mrs. Weasley about her incredibly rude Howler."

"I am going to give her a piece of my mind, as well, Miss Delacour," McGonagall states firmly. "Harry is a legal adult, and she is not his mother, no matter how much she tries to act like it. What she did was completely uncalled for and not her place to do so."

Nodding her approval, she walks towards the exit of the Great Hall with Harry in tow, followed by McGonagall and Dumbledore. Upon reaching the office, Dumbledore grabs a handful of floo powder and hurls it into the fire, muttering the address to connect to the Burrow. The green flames leap to life, and Albus sticks his head into the fire. A moment later, Dumbledore steps back and Mrs. Weasley steps through the fire, wiping her hands on her apron and walking up to Harry. Smiling at him, she places her hands on her hips. "Well, I assume I was brought here so you could tell me you apologized to Ronald already, am I correct?"

"Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asks flabbergasted.

"Your apology, of course." She says jovially. "So you and Ron can put this silly little squabble behind you and be friends again, just like always."

"I am not going to be friends with that git again, Mrs. Weasley." Harry snaps, Mrs. Weasley reels back in shock at the venom in his voice. "He called me a dark wizard and said I belong in the ground with my parents. He called the love of my life a tramp. I am done with that jealous prat, and I will not be saying another word to him again if I can help it. I brought you here to tell you to mind your own business, Mrs. Weasley. You are not my mother, and you're never going to be. I appreciate you helping me at the end of every summer, but that time is over now."

"Harry James Potter, you will not speak to me that way!" She shrieks, her face red with anger.

"Are you delusional or just stupid, you zick harpy?!" Fleur snaps, stepping in front of her mate. "I do not know 'ho you zink you are, but you 'ave no right to talk to 'im like zat!"

"Now see here, young lady!"

"No, I am not done!" Fleur snaps back, stepping forward as fire flits around her arms. "You are not his mozzer, and you 'ave no right acting like you are! You 'ave housed 'im for a few nights at ze end of ze last few summers. Zat is not a family, and zat does not give you ze right to act like 'e is your son. If you really cared about 'im, you would 'ave rescued 'im from zat 'orrific place where zey were torturing 'im!"

Whipping out her wand, Mrs. Weasley raises it at Fleur, opening her mouth to cast, but her wand was snatched by one of the crimson tendrils wavering around Harry.

"Mrs. Weasley, you will not draw your wand on my students!" Dumbledore roars.

"But, Headmaster-"

"No! There is absolutely no reason for you to raise your wand on my students." He says sternly, glowering at her. "You were brought here to be told your actions were completely inappropriate. You owe Harry and Fleur an apology, not the other way around."

"Fine, I'm sorry." She huffs unapologetically, rolling her eyes. "Now give me back my wand."

"You call zat an apology?" Fleur demands, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't ask you, young lady." She snaps before turning back to Harry and holding her hand out. "Now please give back my wand, Harry."

"A proper apology is required, Mrs. Weasley," Harry says, crossing his arms.

"Harry Potter, give me my wand back now!" She shrieks. "I bet that trampy veela has been teaching you that clearly dark magic, and I will not tolerate-

"Enough, Mrs. Weasley!" He roars, pointing at her wand. "One more derogatory word towards my Fleur out of your mouth, and I will burn it to a crisp. I would be well within my rights as you attempted to attack me and my own! Now shut up, open your ears, and maybe you'll leave here with more than a pile of ash and a trip to the St. Mungo's burn ward!"

Shocking everyone into silence, the Weasley matriarch's mouth opens and closes like a fish, her face reddening even darker with outrage. After a few moments, Dumbledore speaks up. "Mr. Potter, while Mrs. Weasley is very much in the wrong for sending that Howler, it doesn't make it right to threaten her."

"'Eadmaster Dumbledore, with all due respect, be quiet." Fleur snaps. "Zis woman 'as done nozzing but berate Harry and me since she arrived! She 'as insulted us, accused me of teaching dark magic, and attempted to assault me! We are bozz well wizzin our rights to burn 'er wand or 'ave 'er arrested!"

"We will not be spoken to in this manner!" She shrieks. "I demand you give me back my wand, or so help me, I will teach you and that French hussy- NO!"

The serpent ignites into flames, burning the wand into ash instantaneously. "I warned you I would burn it if you spoke ill of her again," He says, no remorse on his face. Pulling out a few coins from his pocket, he placed them on the Headmaster's desk. "To replace it. Regardless of what she's done, I would never deny someone the joy of magic unless they truly deserved it."

"That's quite noble of you, Harry." He nods, a sad yet proud gleam in his eyes. "Most people would just let her be without, but you continue to amaze me. I apologize on behalf of Mrs. Weasley, and I can assure you, this will never happen again."

"Headmaster, when my name came out of the Goblet, I was prepared to declare you had blown your last chance." He begins, smiling up at him. "I can really see you are trying to make up for what you've done, and I hope you will continue to do so."

"I will endeavor to try my best, Mr. Potter." He assures the young man, nodding his head in thanks. "Now I think it would be best to head out before Mount McGonagall erupts, hm?"

"One of the best ideas you've ever had, Albus," Minerva growls from behind clenched teeth, her silence about to shatter. "What I am about to say is not appropriate for children to hear."

"Oh, now I'm not going anywhere!' Harry says, chuckling evilly as he rubs his hands together.

"Mr. Potter, you will leave or I swear I will have you in detention until you're thirty-five!"

Harry seems to consider her threat for a moment before shrugging. "Worth it," Harry smirks. "I've been wanting to see you swear since I first came here. Besides, I doubt you'll say anything I haven't heard before."

~Fleur~

"I was wrong, Fleur," Harry says, his eyes wide in astonishment as they walk away from the Headmaster's office. "So very, very wrong..."

"I would have to agree with you, love." She agrees, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't believe I've heard of anyone polishing a broom handle that way."

"Forget the broom handle!" He exclaims, waving his hands above his head. "I'm a thousand percent sure that Aunt Minnie's read too much Edgar Allen Poe if she's going to use the clock tower's pendulum that way!"

"I don't even think that terrifying Whomping Willow would do something THAT painful." She shudders. "It would be cleaning its branches for months."

"Let's never speak of this again, agreed?"

"Agreed."Shuddering once more along with Harry, the two walk back to their apartment together, cutting through the courtyard as a shortcut. Halfway across, they hear one of the banes of Harry's existence open their fat mouth.

"Fancy meeting you here, Scarhead," Malfoy sneers, hopping down from the branch of a tree as Harry and Fleur turn to the source of the voice. "I thought you'd be out of the country by now."

"You really don't think before you talk, do you, Malfoy?" Harry answers uninterested. "If I left, I'd die. I quite like my life right now, despite the tournament."

"Oh, yes." Malfoy drawls, eyeing Fleur. "The creature. I suppose she has to be good for something, after all."

"Calm down, 'Arry," Fleur says, placing a hand on his shoulder once she notices the temperature rising rapidly. "Ze putainis not worz it. Eet is nozzing I 'aven't 'eard before. Besides, ze only way 'e will ever be wiz a woman is if eet is paid for."

"I will have you know I am engaged, you stupid animal!" Malfoy sputters, his face reddening to comical shades.

"You just proved my point," Fleur smirks, not even turning to look at him as she leads Harry away in an attempt to avoid a murder trial. "A marriage contract must be paid for, after all."

Spluttering in fury, Malfoy draws his wand and fires a spell at Harry just before one impacts him. Harry hears a grizzled voice call out behind them. "Potter, down!" Pushing Fleur out of the way, Harry takes the piercing hex to the shoulder before drawing his wand to retaliate. Pointing his wand towards where Malfoy was, he only sees a white ferret. After a few moments, adrenaline turns to confusion, before anger, then realization sends him into a fit of laughter. Limping up to him, Moody offers a hand to help him up. Taking it, Harry continues to chuckle before hissing in pain at the movement. "Alright there, Potter?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. What'd you do to Malfoy?"

"My job." He smirks. "Taught him a lesson about cursing someone when their back is turned."

"That's hilarious." Harry laughs, smiling as he looks down at Malfoy. "You know, I think he actually looks better as a ferret."

"You and me both, lad." Moody guffaws, before waving his wand and turning Malfoy back. "Now get out of here before I keep you like one for a week."

"Wait till my father hears about this!" He snaps, moving quickly away from the grizzled ex-Auror.

"Is that a threat, lad?" Moody asks, raising an eyebrow before stalking up to the boy and yelling. "I could tell you some stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy! Don't threaten me or I will happily be removed from this school if it meant shoving your head up your arse where it belongs! Leave!"

Turning quickly, Malfoy runs away and Moody grunts before turning back to Harry and nodding at his shoulder. "Looks like that tickles."

"This IS a tickle compared to the basilisk bite." He admits, chuckling.

"Ze what?!" Fleur shrieks, turning on him and reverting into French angrily. "You never told me about being BITTEN by the basilisk! You just told me you fought it! Oh, you are in more trouble than you can imagine, Harry Potter! When maman and Gabby hear about this, you'll wish you were dealing with the basilisk again! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to spare you from being concerned like you are right now?" He tries placating, smiling nervously. "It happened in the past and I'm here now."

Her anger deflating, she sighs in surrender and wraps her arms around him carefully before kissing his cheek. "Fine, just no more near deaz-experiences, understand?"

"Yes, dear," Harry smirks, winking at her. "The only near-death experience I'll have left is our wedding."

Smacking his shoulder, Harry hisses loudly in pain. "Oh, merde! I'm so sorry, 'Arry!"

"Let's get you to Pomfrey, lad," Moody says, smirking as he leads the way. "Before she has both of our hides for lunch."

"Sounds good, Professor." Harry acquiesces, smiling and walking with them to the infirmary. As Pomfrey walks out, she throws up her hands in exasperation. "Heya, Poppy!"

"Harry, one year!" She snaps, placing her hands on her hips. "Did I not specifically tell you that for one year, I did not want to see you hear in this infirmary?"

"Oh come off it, Poppy." Harry grins roguishly at the matron. "You'd miss me too much."

"Bed, now!" She points at the bed closest to her office and Harry walks over to it, his eyes widening at the gold plaque saying 'Reserved For Harry James Potter' on it. With a wide grin, he sits down on the bed, smacking the plaque with his name proudly as he passes by it. Poppy walks back over to them and shakes her head before grumbling. "I swear, you are the only student to ever actually have a bed in my infirmary reserved for them."

"Bravo, lad!" Moody roars in laughter, clapping Harry on the back and receiving another hiss of pain and a glare in return. "Poppy patched me up more times than I can count, and even I never had a reserved bed!"

"Alastor, would you like to play Remove The Splinter again?" She warns, waving her wand at him. Seeing Moody shake his head no nervously, Poppy plasters on a smile. "Good, then refrain from injuring my patient further."

"She likes chocolate, lad," Moody whispers conspiratorially in his ear before limping out and calling back from the doorway. "Use it to bribe her!"

He ducks out of the way to ignore a curse thrown by a huffing matron before she turns back and points it at Harry. "You never heard anything, Potter." She threatens.

"About what, Madame Pomfrey?" He says, gulping audibly.

"Exactly." She says, smiling in approval before waving her wand over his shoulder for a few moments, the hole in his shoulder knitting itself back together. "There, all patched up. You should probably take it easy for the rest of the day. In fact, go take a small nap. Also, if I see you in this bed one more time this year, I will not give you pain-relieving potions, understood?"

"Poppy, that's like telling someone not to breathe!" Harry whines. "I have to make my five annual trips to the hospital wing, it's a tradition. It's bad luck to break tradition, you know."

"Out!" She orders, pointing at the door.

"I'll tell everyone to bring you some Honeyduke's chocolate to get out of here early," Harry says quickly, running out of the infirmary. "Bye, Poppy!"

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Laughing as he runs down the halls of the school, he stops in front of the door to the apartment he shares with Fleur, doubled over as he tries to catch his breath. A few moments later, Fleur catches up to him and smiles at her love, shaking her head. "Why is it that it seems like every adult here who loves you also hates you?"

"Probably because they do." He shrugs, opening the door. "While I am remarkably easy to love, I drive people insane. It's a gift, my love."

"It certainly sounds like a special one." She chuckles, kissing his cheek and lying down on the bed. "Come to bed, Harry. We have to obey the healer, after all."

Smiling at her antics, Harry walks forward and slides under the covers with her, cuddling up to the woman who was quickly becoming the most important person in his life.

"Fleur?" He starts, his voice shaky.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I don't know if I know what love is yet," He begins, raising his hand and placing it gently on Fleur's cheek, smiling as he stares in her eyes. He stares into those orbs of sapphire, seeing nothing but love and hope in them, spurring his courage on like the lion he was. "But I know if there's anyone I could have love on this planet, it's you. I love you, Fleur."

Gasping lightly, Fleur reaches up and places her hands on both sides of his face and stares back into his eyes. "Do you really mean that, Harry?"

"I do, Fleur." He confirms, stroking her cheek with his thumbs. "I love you Fleur, and I will never stop saying it for as long as you'll have me."

Not saying another word, she kisses him, pouring every ounce of pent up proclamations of love she's been bottling up inside into it. She kisses him as if to take the breath out of his body as if it was the first and last time she's ever kissed him. Rolling on top of him, she deepens the kiss for a few moments and nibbles on his lip before pulling back for air.

"Wow..." He gasps, his eyes wide as a goofy smile threatens to split his face in half. "If that's what I have to reward me, I should say that more often."

"I love you too, Harry," She says with a breathy sigh, pressing herself against him in a tight hug. "I've been waiting for a long time to hear that from you. I'm so happy to hear it and even happier to finally be able to say it."

"What do you mean you had to wait to say it, Fleur?"

"Well, I didn't want to rush you." She begins, sitting up in his lap and looking away nervously. "I didn't want you to feel you were obligated to say you loved me before you were ready even though I already was."

"You didn't have to wait for me to say it first, you know." He says, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "But I appreciate you waiting for me to be ready. It really shows how much you care about me being comfortable before we do anything."

"Speaking of..." She says quietly, stroking his chest and biting her lip. Harry's heart feels like it skips a couple of beats seeing that before she continues nervously. "When do you think we might be able to do more than a kiss? I'm not trying to rush you, or anything. I'm just curious, I promise."

"Well, I'm not comfortable going too far yet…." He says, blushing and avoiding her gaze. "But I suppose we could try... touching?"

"I'd really like that, Harry." She says, smiling excitedly. Pulling off her shirt quickly, Harry is met with the most incredible sight he's ever seen. "What do you think, love?"

"I... It's... They're..." He stutters, staring at his half-naked girlfriend before trying his best to regain his composure. "You're absolutely beautiful, Fleur. I'm the luckiest bloke on the planet."

"You're about to get even luckier, Harry," She purrs, moving closer. "Touch me, my love."

"Boobs..."

Well, everyone! There's chapter nineteen. I really enjoyed writing all the funny moments, especially that last line. I was dying after I wrote it. I hope you all get a laugh out of it, too. Flames are never welcome, but constructive criticism is always appreciated. As always, read, review, and spread this story like wildfire. This is Mystery Critic, signing off.