Chapter IV
Brown Eyes

Coming to Hogwarts wasn't an easy choice for the newly graduating Auror. She was still under the internship of a famous Auror from France who was in close contact with Dumbledore as it so happened.

"Je sais que t'aimerais bien y retourner en Angleterre un jour," (I know that you'd like to go back to England someday) said the man who had headhunted her down at her her graduation from Beauxbatons. "Peux être tu pourras la retrouver." (Maybe you can find her again)

Fleur stared at the pocket watch she shared with her sister. The clock's arm showed where her sister was in real-time, but ever since the return of the Dark Lord, the hand to her name was constantly pointed to Péril Mortel. Everyone she knew in France who had the same kind of watch also had the same problem but it didn't make her worry any less for her little sister. Voldemort's return was something that was looming over the entire world as they knew it. By becoming an Auror, maybe she'd have a chance to protect Gabrielle.

Guillaume, the man who had trained her in the ways of an Auror knew much about her family's ancestry and had even become a family friend after he took her under his wing. A good person, with an even better heart. He was approaching his retirement, but told her that his last wish at the Bureau des Aurors, was to find a person fit to take his place. Fleur Delacour was who he chose.

Fleur excelled in Charms and therefore, her duelling skills have been outstanding, even if Guillaume didn't always let her know. But the few times Death Eaters had bested her were sobering to say the least. The year they spent together taught Fleur how to truly defend herself, but he had also learned about her and her shortcomings. Guillaume knew about Veela, their powers, and their vices. Fleur had a temper on her, low patience for the mediocre, and a bit of a superiority complex as she had been first in all her classes every single year. The French Auror made sure he brought her feet firmly back on the ground with the dangerous missions he brought her on, and had taught her about humility in ways that it would stick. She had found herself faced with the most vile creatures, and dangerous Death Eaters all over France.

As for her quarter Veela ancestry, the young blonde witch held powers that no other Auror could wield. A thrall that was almost as potent as the Imperius curse. One thing Fleur couldn't do, however, was to turn into a Harpy. But no matter how furious, no talons or wings would ever grow. Despite that, her Veela blood seemed to give her other Veela qualities... ones she didn't realize until it was too late. Much like her ancestors, her Veela blood sought out a bond that almost felt completely out of her control. It had unfortunately... or fortunately, latched onto someone who she wasn't sure would ever reciprocate any feelings for her. Would she have to live a life of solitude, if it wasn't possible to be with them? Fleur had heard stories of Veela's love going unrequited.

Her last year at school had been her worst... and her best. The Triwizard Tournament ended in Voldemort's return. She couldn't have thought of a worse way to end that year even if she could. She had also failed as a Triwizard Champion, but most regrettable of all, she couldn't prevent Cedric Diggory's death. Those regrets all swirled deep within her heart... but there had been one thing that made that year the most amazing, ironically.

She'd find her in the library, most times, hunched over her pile of books in that same nook at the back of the vast hall. Her bushy hair, unruly at first, soon found a way to endear her. The way her brows furrowed in intense concentration when she was onto something, or how she laughed at Ron's antics. Those brown eyes and know-it-all smile made her feel understood as she, too, found a lot of comfort in books. They'd share glances here and there, but Fleur couldn't bring herself to talk to her. The Brightest Witch of her generation, right hand to the legendary Harry Potter. That chasm was further driven apart when she'd heard Hermione talk ill of her, thinking she was just an air-headed blonde girl randomly granted even more attention by being made Champion. The attention she didn't want.

Fleur couldn't understand why it hurt so much hearing this from her. Specially since she's lived with this kind of prejudice and discrimination as a quarter Veela since she was born. She had built a wall up against what people said, but for some reason, Hermione's words pierced that wall up like a spear and imbued itself deep into her heart. She couldn't help but feel irritated at the girl for being so hostile towards her, but despite all that, she still yearned to know more about her, Hermione Granger. That was when she knew that the bond her Grandmother always mentioned, had picked someone. Of all people.

Dumbledore finally entered his office and kindly offered for her to take a seat in front of his desk. He had said something about chocolate mousse being best at a certain time, before settling down properly next to a gorgeous Phoenix by the name of Fawkes.

"Thank you for coming back here Fleur," His reassuring voice had a nice calming effect to anyone, Fleur thought.

"It's not a problem Professor Dumbledore," she replied, earning her a chuckle from the wizard. Fleur couldn't help but smile, too, at how silly it felt to still talk to him as if she was a student.

"You can call me Albus! You're an Auror now, and no longer a pupil," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "How you've grown, Fleur. I heard a lot about you from Guillaume, he holds you in high esteem and thinks you are no longer in need of his constant supervision."

The young Auror flushed slightly. After everything she's been through with her mentor, it felt good to finally hear it... from Albus Dumbledore no less. For the longest time, the blonde witch felt like she wasn't meant to be an Auror, and that she'd be sent back to school for such abysmal performances on certain tasks. Her confidence had taken a hard hit during her time in training.

"I'm sure you've heard of Voldemort's recruiting efforts in Bulgaria," continued the Headmaster. "I know you've come here in anticipation, knowing they will surely come here with Voldemort. But now, correct me if I'm wrong... perhaps you've also come for another reason?"

Now Fleur didn't expect that, or maybe she should have since this was Albus Dumbledore. Apparently being the most powerful wizard also granted you incredible mind reading- or rather match-making abilities as this point.

"Don't get me wrong Prof- I mean Albus," Fleur stammered. She rarely ever stammered. Her cheeks flushed deeper. "I'm here solely on a mission as an Auror. If I can be of help to stop The Dark Lord and Death Eaters from harming anyone, then that means I can protect my family back home. And there's no other Auror other than me who knows about Veela." It was true. But deep down, Fleur knew coming here also meant seeing someone she had hoped to see again.

She had initially refused to go to Hogwarts at first, feeling like she couldn't leave her sister behind in this war-ridden time. Guillaume put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with his fatherly eyes, ones she had trouble meeting. "Sans elle, tu peux pas continuer comme ça." Were his last words to her before she tossed and turned that night to finally buy plane tickets to England for the following week. Fleur knew he wasn't talking about Gabrielle, but rather that bookworm she so detested, but felt so incredibly drawn to during her time at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.

A distant whistle from a train sounded.

"It seems like the Hogwarts Express is about to arrive at the station. If you could do me a favour and see to the students getting off the train safely, Fleur..." Dumbledore smiled encouragingly at her, "I believe it's been a while since you've seen her."

The Auror now felt like Dumbledore was teasing her but all she could do we purse her lips before getting up and walking out in a huff. These men had seriously better stop assuming what she needed, because she was going to show them that all she's here for are the Death Eaters and their stupid Lord.

The quarter Veela accepted Hagrid's offer to ride the carriage pulled by Thestral to the station to fetch the students. She felt like he knew she was in a bad mood because he eyed her from the corner of his eyes awkwardly. Despite the uncomfortable silence, the Auror appreciated his lack of small talk, as she didn't really feel like conversing at the moment. The majestic horses galloped at incredible speed, cutting through the thick cold air of September. Soon, she could smell the burn of the coal that the Hogwarts Express expelled through thick smoke. The sound of an engine made her feel a little anxious on top of the irritation she felt after her conversation with Dumbledore. She'd get to see her again after so long. Had she changed? Would she be happy to see her there? Probably not... but it's not like Fleur was there for her. Or was she? The more the Auror thought about it, the more she became angry at herself for feeling so conflicted with her emotions. She didn't need distractions from her mission to protect her family, and the wizarding world. "You're here for Voldemort, and Voldemort only." She muttered under her breath. Next to her, Hagrid stared straight ahead, unsure of what to make of her self talk about He Who Must Not Be Named.

The Thestrals came to a halt near the station. From there, Fleur thanked Hagrid who had a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Odd. Was the ride here with her that uncomfortable? Perhaps she shouldn't have uttered the Dark Lord's name. That was known to make a lot of wizards feel anxious. The blonde girl smiled apologetically but stalked off to watch from a distance as the students start to bustle out of the doors. She didn't particularly feel like making an entrance just yet.

It didn't take very long for who she had secretly wanted to see, or rather, refused to admit to herself about, to step out of the old train. Fleur felt time stop as she watched the now grown and beautiful witch, gather her things, and usher the first years out and form a neat, straight line. Her brown eyes as fiery as ever as she commanded the little people into following each of her orders. She was now taller. The curves beneath her robes were definitively a lot more noticeable, as she puffed her chest proudly with the gleaming badge of what Fleur figured was a Prefect badge.

Fleur couldn't take her eyes off of her. She felt her heart pounding a little harder.

Hermione hadn't noticed her, thankfully. Fleur had time to compose herself, otherwise she'd look like a fool to this young witch. The witch who had bravely fought the most dangerous Death Eaters at the Ministry last year. Her talent, and intelligence was something Fleur couldn't stop but take a moment to truly appreciate.

Slowly the train emptied. It was perhaps a little late before the Auror had noticed that Harry had never appeared among them. The train's engine roared to life again.

Cursing mentally to herself, Fleur stepped aboard the train, attempting to locate the Boy Who Lived. She saw Draco Malfoy hurriedly walk out of the back, leaving the last compartment after closing the door behind him. Fleur felt the floor beneath her hum to life as the Hogwarts Express started to move out of the station. Swiftly, the Auror made her way to the back and slid the door open. She crouched down, and grabbed at what felt like invisible cloth. Lo and behold, Harry lay motionless, his eyes wide open and face bloodied.

With a flick of her wand, Harry gasped and shot straight up. "Malfoy! He-"

"Let's get off this train Harry," Fleur calmly said, "it's about to leave the station."

Together, they jumped out of the moving vehicle that had almost reached its full speed, and landed gracefully on a soft patch of tall grass that Fleur had Charmed to grow and break their fall.

"Fleur?" Harry asked, his eyes adjusting to finally look at the person who had saved him.

"Nice to see you again 'Arry!"

The journey back to Hogwarts took much longer than anticipated as they were on foot. But at least the two were able to catch up after fixing up the poor boy's bloodied nose. Harry found out that Fleur had been training as an Auror ever since she graduated, and Fleur caught up with what his fifth year at Hogwarts had been about. Throughout his tales, the Auror couldn't help but ask for details about how Hermione had helped him with absolutely everything.

Once close enough to the castle, Fleur cast a Patronus to send a message to the Headmaster, to let them know she had Harry. The boy stared at her Patronus, but said nothing. She wondered if he had ever seen an Otter as a Patronus before.

Snape had been the one to greet them at the door. It didn't seem to please Harry as he begrudgingly followed the Professor inside. Fleur didn't particularly have anything against the new Professor Against the Dark Arts aside for his greasy hair. He had even asked her if she wanted to be a part of his class, to which, she happily agreed. Fleur knew of the threats to come to Hogwarts, and if she could help educate the students of what Veela's were capable of, it would relieve her of having to protect an entire school from that threat. She had been warned by Minerva that Severus had a strict way to run his classes, and that some things might take her by surprise. And surely enough. It did.

The Auror had not expected any students to ever have the ability to break away from the thrall she had trained to a level where it could rival full fledged Veela. As a matter of fact, Severus had wanted to see if any student could cast that cursed spell against her, but she didn't expect him to hit her with it himself when Hermione refused to cast it.

It was a roller coaster of emotion. Fleur was incredibly surprised that Hermione broke out of her dance, but she was even more so flattered that it was because she refused to hurt the Auror. Though without much of a warning, Snape pointed his wand at her and muttered the incantation.

Immediately, Fleur felt the air force out of her lungs as she fell to her knees clutching at her heart. The seeing pain that wrapped around her heart felt like thorns ripping it to shreds from within. What control she had over her thrall evaporated. If it wasn't already bad enough, her mind started reeling over particular painful moments in her life, as if forced to revisit them. It was an overwhelming feeling of despair, sadness, and pain all in one.

Thankfully, Snape stopped the spell before any severe damage could be done. She'd make sure she'd have a talk with the man. This was seriously not what she had expected. Was he testing her? Even if that had lasted mere seconds, the pain made it feel like an eternity. Her heart still throbbed painfully. Even the skin on her chest where her heart was, became sensitive to her clothes.

Fleur hadn't noticed Hermione who was kneeling next to her, brown eyes wide with worry. The Auror held her hand up as a silent thank you, and got up from the floor, still in a bit of a shock from the curse, her pulse beating loudly.

"One little second of that curse can, and will disable a Veela," Snape now faced the class as if this was a part of his agenda. Fleur felt rage boil in her veins. They were definitively going to have a talk about this. "If you noticed, the thrall is now completely gone. And it will stay that way for a bit of time until the Veela regains her strength."

The quarter Veela tried to stand up as if nothing was wrong. She didn't feel like dealing with worried students, specially not Hermione, who were supposed to depend on her to defend them from Voldemort and his cronies. If she showed weakness, they'd lose faith. But she'd have to see Madame Pomphrey, her left arm felt numb.

"Well, it looks like my demonstration here is done," said Fleur stiffly. The students had all seemed to snap out of any thrall, likely due to the fact that Fleur could no longer emit any at the moment. She felt as if a heavy fog clouded her mind as she briskly walked out of the class. The talk with Snape would have to wait.

Fleur knew what that curse was capable of, but she'd never been subject to it before even when faced against Death Eaters. Those dark wizards only had the Cruciatus Curse on hand and even then, that didn't feel as painful as what she had just felt. She'd make a point of banning it along with the three unforgivable curses as soon as this war was over.

Madame Pomphrey's office was thankfully empty when she knocked on the door with her right hand. Her left arm still hadn't regained any sensation.

Unbeknownst to the Auror, another pair of steps quickly followed that of Fleur's. Hermione had also left class to follow her to the infirmary.

AN: Always a huge thanks for all your wonderful reviews who are always such fun to read. I apologize for the time it's taking me to write. This chapter was particularly hard to get through as I tried to find a way to make it flow without revisiting everything again too much. Work's been kicking me in the butt too. But writing keeps my mind occupied from burnout, at least.

"Sans elle, tu peux pas continuer comme ça." I didn't leave a translation for this one because it made Fleur reconsider a lot, and leave her speechless at the time, so it felt more powerful to not follow it up with a translation in that paragraph. But here it is now! "You can't continue like that without her"
Perhaps he's alluding to another weakness for Veela?