Author's note: The COVID and its related travel restrictions have got me so stupid homesick you guys, and I love my siblings so much. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. You can tell I'm not her because #transrights
Hogwarts: Assignment #3, Folklore Task #3: Write about helping a stranger who helps the character(s) in return.
Warnings: Family separation
Half of My Heart
Half of my heart's got a real good imagination
Half of my heart's got you
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you
That half of my heart won't do
—Half of My Heart, John Mayer
"I don't understand," Gabrielle said quietly. Fleur bit down on her lip as she reeled under the weight of what she was telling her sister herself. The news had only come to them this morning, reported by The Daily Prophet and Le monde ensorcelé, both of which were delivered to Shell Cottage every morning. Fleur's parents had called through the fireplace only hours later to talk, and now Fleur was passing on the news. At least her father was taking care of securing a Portkey to come.
She reached across the table and took Gabrielle's small hand in hers.
"It isn't in our hands, beautiful," Fleur said quietly. She was having trouble finding her words and deciding how to say everything, even if she was speaking French. There was no easy way to go over this. "But it won't be forever, either."
"I don't understand why it has to happen at all," Gabrielle said. Fleur pushed a strand of hair away from Gabrielle's face and behind her ear. They'd played in the ocean earlier today and Gabrielle's hair was still damp and it smelled of salt and fresh air, like everything else at Shell Cottage. Fleur had also made croque monsieurs for lunch to try and make their last day together… well, not as sad as it might be.
"It is because of Voldemort," Fleur said. "The dark wizard who killed my friend Cedric, remember? He is the same one who sent his people to the wedding and has taken over Britain's Ministry for Magic. France does not want his influence spilling over and so they are closing the border at midnight."
"For how long?" Gabrielle asked. She asked in such a quiet voice that Fleur was hit by how little she was and how much worse this made it. Eleven years old, only a year of schooling under her belt, and a war brewing over another country's magic was becoming her problem. Her feet could barely touch the floor from where she was sitting…
"For some time," Fleur said. She sighed. "I have no idea when this will all be over, beautiful, but I hope soon."
"And you're not going to come home until then?" Gabrielle asked again, forget-me-not blue eyes wide and concerned.
"I don't think it will be allowed."
Gabrielle chewed on her lip, unconvinced. Fleur hated to admit it, but rightfully so…
"Can't I stay with you?" Gabrielle asked.
"I wish," Fleur said. "But then what will Maman and Papa do? I'm sorry, love, I have to send you back to France. I wish we could have spent the summer together like we wanted."
Gabrielle's eyes watered.
"You said things weren't going to change just because you got married," she said.
"Things are changing because there are bad people in the world, Gabi," Fleur said. "We have to choose one side of the border to stay on until they are dealt with."
"And you chose England?" Gabrielle asked. "You… you chose Bill?"
"Ma belle," Fleur sighed. She pulled Gabrielle off her chair and towards her, scooping up her sister against her chest. She kissed her forehead. "I'm not choosing Bill, and I'm especially not choosing Bill over you. I'm choosing to stay where I can fight and help make things right."
"But what if something happens to you?" Gabrielle asked. "What if it's like the tournament and the rules get broken and it's not like it's supposed to be and you get hurt?"
Fleur's stomach twisted.
"I will work very hard to make sure nothing happens," Fleur said.
She ran her hand through Gabrielle's hair, both to cheer up her sister and to settle her own breaking heart. She had left France in a hurry, after the Triwizard Tournament, looking for a fresh start that would let her put space between herself and the hellish year she'd had. At the time, she hadn't seen the risk of grabbing the first offer made to her by a devilishly handsome red-headed Gringotts employee. She had not taken the time to think through the fact that she may make herself a new home in England if she went, that she may be breaking her heart in two and burying one half in two very different places as a result. Half of her heart felt completely insufficient for everything she wanted to do, everyone she had to love…
She kissed the top of Gabrielle's hair and leaned her chin on top of Gabrielle's head
"I am still, and always will be, your big sister," Fleur said. "War or no war, in France or in England, married or not. Will you always be mine?"
She felt her little sister nodding.
"I'm going to miss you," Gabrielle said.
"I'm going to miss you too," Fleur said. She squeezed Gabrielle in her arms. "Maman and Papa are coming to pick you up tonight, after we have dinner. I think we can cook on the fire outside again, like you like. We might be able to go swimming again before then if we go pack up your things first."
Gabrielle nodded and pulled away from Fleur. Behind her little sister, Fleur saw Bill peering into the kitchen.
"I can meet you there in a minute," Fleur said. Gabrielle nodded and spun around quickly. She nearly ran into Bill in the doorway, and Bill gave her a quick hug before Gabrielle ran off again. Fleur got up from the chair where she'd been sitting at the kitchen table and Bill took a few more steps into the kitchen, opening his arms.
"You look like you're about to melt," he said in English. "Do you want to cry for a minute, before going up there?"
Tears prickled in Fleur's eyes and she managed to nod before bursting into tears, doing what she could to muffle the sound against Bill's chest.
WC: 1013