A/N: Big thanks to my beta's, who both have performed miracles again.
Broken keyboards are but a hindrance.
This is the longest chapter to date, partly because it will take a while before I can upload again, partly because I really did needed to get all of it crammed into this chapter.
If you have any remarks, please don't hesitate to contact me. I always welcome feedback.
DISCLAIMER: JK has written the song inside the egg, not me. The song - just like the characters do - belongs to her.
FLEUR DE LA MER
CHAPTER NINE: Dates
RON (Transfiguration Class, Thursday December 3rd, 9.34 a.m.)
Staring at his guinea pig - that had started the lesson out as a rather large guinea fowl - Ron decided that his skill at transfiguring animals was going to take a little more refining. But, looking on the bright side, at least his former fowl didn't have feathers - like Neville's - had exploded - like Seamus' - or was still a fowl - like Harry's. Truly, he thought, as he looked at his classmates accomplishments, a guinea pig with a beak was not that bad. Okay, yes, Harry had pretty much done nothing at all during class - McGonagall had left their desk almost spitting fire, when he had told her that he couldn't focus on his transfiguration as he was busy thinking about his egg - and true, Neville was a liability when it came to anything but Herbology, but Ron liked to think that he had done alright.
Hermione was ferociously taking notes as her successfully transfigured guinea pig was sort of hopping around at the edges of her desk. Ron figured that with the change into a guinea pig, the little creature had lost all love for heights. Unlike his own beaked fellow, which had already fallen off twice, trying to flap the wings it no longer had. Not the brightest of the lot, now was it?
After every student had shut their guinea pigs or fowls or in-betweens in the cage on McGonagall's desk, the Transfigurations Professor started to write down their homework on the blackboard and instead of bothering to pen it down - why else would you have Hermione? - Ron opened up his bag and took out the two fake wands he had stolen from his twin brothers. Harry took one, and immediately started hitting him with the wand - which promptly transformed into a rubber haddock. Parrying with his own fake wand - which turned out to be a tin parrot - the two started an intense sword fight. Ferociously hitting just anything vaguely Harry, Ron grinned. He could not believe that a fortnight ago, he was still hating Harry's guts for getting picked as Champion.
Not that he was a coward - hell no - but fighting dragons wasn't really something for him. Instead, Ron had decided he was just fine sitting this one out. Harry could have the glory and the gold, it didn't matter anymore. Truly, having a fake sword fight in class was much more fun than dying for the entertainment of three schools.
"Potter! Weasley!" McGonagall suddenly snapped, "Will you pay attention."
Jumping up, Ron lowered the tin parrot a few inches and turned his attention to the professor up front, who - quite obviously - had been trying to talk for at least a couple of minutes. Well, what did she expect? Class was more or less over. Could a man not have a decent fake-wands-swordfight anymore?
"Now that Potter and Weasley are kind enough to grace us with their attention," McGonagall continued shooting an angry glare at the pair, "I have something to say." Standing at the front of the classroom, she folded her hands.
"This Christmas day, the Yule Ball will be taking place in the Great Hall. The ball is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an excellent opportunity to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above, although if you wish you can bring a younger date."
Beside him, Harry sighed deeply as Lavender and Parvati both let out a shrill giggle and pointed at his best mate. Chuckling, Ron figured Harry was up for a couple of rough weeks. Performing that spectacularly at the first task had gotten him quite some - unwanted - attention. And now this? Girls all around them were already going crazy. Okay, maybe they weren't. But he'd like to think they were! Glancing sideways at Hermione, he frowned when he noticed the girl was almost as white as a sheet. Was she sick or something? She had been disappearing left and right the past week. This was the third year all over again.
"Mate, what's wrong with Hermione?" He nudged Harry in the ribs, asking for his attention.
"Ouch. Ron. Damnit. Did you have to do that so hard?" Harry growled. "I don't know what's wrong with her, alright? She's been weird ever since the first task."
"Yeah, but, look at her. She's bloody pale." Ron whispered anxiously.
"Maybe she picked up Neville's cold. I wasn't able to sleep all night thanks to his sneezing." Harry frowned deeply, and Ron had to agree with him on Neville's cold. It was a bloody misery trying to sleep with that in the room.
"Weasley! Potter! Are you two aiming for detention?" McGonagall called out angrily. Deliberately, she stared around the class.
"Dress robes are compulsory. The ball will start at eight o'clock in the Great Hall and end at Midnight. While I know that this is chance to - ahum - let our hair down, we will not be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I warn you, I will be most seriously displeased if any Gryffindor student manages to embarrass the school - or me - in any way."
The bell rang, and instantly, Ron jumped up. Scraping chairs and talking people were a perfect distraction. Quickly he dropped his tin parrot to the ground and he shoved it underneath a nearby desk. Someone would probably clean that up later. He ignored Hermione's disapproving glare and gestured for his mate to follow him. Harry though, turned around as McGonagall called for him to come to the front.
"Oh boy." Ron muttered. This probably had something to do with the fake wands.
"That's what you get, Ronald, now come; we're going to be late for Charms." Hermione said sternly, pulling him by his sleeve.
Shaking her hand off, he said. "Nah, I'll wait for Harry, you go on ahead!"
A couple of minutes later, Harry returned from the front with a worried look on his face. "Ron. I'm going to need a partner for the dance. Preferably one that can dance."
"Well, if you need a partner, then I need one." Ron cursed. Damn, he had hoped that he, Harry and Hermione would just have gone together, mocking everyone who had actually brought a date. Well, it seemed like he was out of luck. Harry a date, he a date.
"Hey, Hermione!" He called out the girl who was surprisingly enough still waiting for them in the hallway. Charms had apparently lost his charm. Chuckling at his own horrible joke - that he luckily hadn't said out loud or Harry would have hit him with the remaining part of the haddock - he asked Hermione "Did you know that we actually need dates for that Yule thing?"
She visibly paled at the idea - luckily he wasn't the only one worried - and said. "Yes. Now let's go."
"You'll think I'll find a good one, Harry?"
"Boys!"
Honestly though, how hard could it be to find a date?
HERMIONE (Hogwarts Halls, Friday December 4th, 2.33 p.m.)
It was a magnificent day, one of those bright, crisp winter days. When the air is freezing cold, yet the sun is shining brightly and if you walk on the grass, you could hear the frost crunch underneath your feet and you would see clouds form out of your breath. Luckily though, Hermione was safe and warm inside Hogwarts Castle. More precise, Hermione, Ron and Harry were making their way through the hallways to their next class. The sun fell through the windows, shining upon the heads of the rushing students. It felt like rush hour in the halls. Hermione was sure she had gotten hit by three elbows already.
"Blimey. Has Hogwarts always been this crowded?" Ron sighed in annoyance as he got hit by someone's bag.
"It's the foreigners, mate." Harry said. "Pretty sure we added like eighty more students."
"And it does not help that those Beauxbatons students walk around like they own the school." Hermione scowled. "Seriously, is it like a law in France that you can never walk on your own?"
"If it was, it'd be funny." grinned Ron.
A group of giggling Beauxbatons girls in blue uniforms appeared around the corner. Almost like they were moving in sync, they elegantly made their way through the crowd.
"Well, at least they don't get hit by someone's elbow. You wouldn't dare to accidentally touch one of that lot." Harry complained.
"Yeah." Ron sighed, eyes fixed on the tall, silvery-blond in the middle of the group. "Fleur Delacour would rip your heart out for touching one of her Frenchie friends."
"No she wouldn't." Hermione spoke softly. She too was following the group of Beauxbatons students with her eyes. Fleur was laughing and smiling with the two girls walking closest to her, obviously gossiping in rapid French.
Beside her Harry slapped Ron out of his trance, and then - for fun - slapped his friend a second time.
"Stop hitting him, Harry!" Hermione snapped.
Fleur's eyes flickered for a second to Hermione, and Hermione secretly smiled at her girlfriend but Fleur's face did not betray any emotions and the French girl simply and stoically looked away.
The smile fell from Hermione's face. What was that about? Since when did Fleur act like that towards her?
"Come on! Hermione! We're late for History of Magic!" Harry pulled her elbow.
"I can't believe you wasted the chance to skip class by reminding Hermione that we have it." Ron growled, but together they started walking again.
For the first time in her Hogwarts history, Hermione did not pay attention during History of Magic, causing Ron to panic because that meant he could not copy her notes. So while Harry was taking a nap, and Ron was trying to convince Parvati to let him copy her notes after class, Hermione was growing increasingly worried about Fleur. She didn't understand why Fleur had pretended not to know her in the hallway. Yes, they had agreed to keep everything a secret, but a simple smile was not that difficult now was it? And true, they hadn't really spoken in a few days. A hug here, a kiss there, and these sporadic moments all seemed to last but a few seconds. But it wasn't like they were having an argument, now were they? She felt like she needed to talk to Fleur, ask her what was wrong. The end of class couldn't come quick enough.
After dinner, Hermione snuck out of the Common Room - Ron and Harry could, for once, handle Snape's essay on their own - and started looking for Fleur. Pushing open the heavy front gate of the castle, she shivered as the cold air hit her instantly. It was maybe eight o'clock, yet it was already stubbornly dark outside. Where was spring when you needed it? Quickly walking toward the side of the lake, she knew exactly where Fleur was going to be.
As always, Hermione was right. Fleur was once again practicing magic by the shoreline. Her breath hitched, conjuring. Fleur was conjuring, and by the look of it, it was some pretty advanced conjuring too.
"Ow is it 'zat you always find me as I'm in ze middle of practicing some'zing difficult?" Fleur frowned and lowered her wand. She looked tired, and Hermione thought she understood why, conjuring was a very intense branch of Transfiguration. It took immense concentration; you would be tired for less.
"Hi." Hermione smiled and kissed the scowl off of Fleur's face.
"Bonsoir," sighed Fleur and hid her wand in her robes. "What are you doing 'ere?"
"Looking for you, obviously," Hermione said "I wanted to see you."
"So now you want to see me?" Fleur spoke bitterly. "I am not even allowed to talk to you in public anymore, but you can just show up while I'm in 'ze middle of some'zing?"
Surprised by Fleur's sudden outburst, Hermione frowned. "You were the one who refused to look at me today in the halls, not me."
"Oui!" Fleur said in exasperation, "To make you understand what it feels like when you do 'ze same to me!"
"Look, you're obviously tired, maybe I should come back another time.." Hermione hesitated.
"Of course I am tired, 'Ermione." sighed Fleur, "I'm tired of not being able to talk to you, I'm tired of not being able to sit with you in ze library, I'm tired of you ignoring me in public! I get zat you don't want people to know, I understand it even, but we can still be friends to ze outside world. People know we are friends, zey have seen us toge'zer before. I don't mind pretending 'zat we are not dating, but I want to spend my days wi'z you, not 'anging out wi'z 'zat ever growing fan club of mine 'oo can seemingly only talk about make-up, and clo'zes and 'oo did what and 'oo and why."
"I'm sorry; I told you I've been immensely busy. You know I want to spend more time with you too." Hermione spoke rapidly. "All professors have been handing out more homework than ever before."
"Oui, but can we please see each o'zer some more? I don't like it like zis, I really don't." Fleur whispered sadly, all anger gone with the wind.
Hugging her girlfriend, Hermione kept silent. She didn't like it like this either, but for now it was for the best. If they started to hang out in public again, people might figure it out, like Ginny had done. Although, no one was in the library after eight o'clock in the evening.. Well, very few people at least. Maybe it was safe for now.
"I'm going to do my homework in the library." Hermione kissed Fleur softly on the cheek. "Would you like to come with me?"
She almost chuckled how fast the scowl disappeared off Fleur's face and instead she started smiling.
"I wish I could." Fleur said regretfully, "But I promised Inès zat I would 'elp her."
"Oh," spoke Hermione, secretly kind of glad, "that's okay I guess, and we can see each other tomorrow."
"Can we?" Fleur raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Hermione smiled and nuzzled against her girlfriend, "Yes we can."
"Bien." Fleur sighed contently and the two girls stayed silent for a moment. Then Fleur leant forward and intensely kissed Hermione. It surprised Hermione every time, how soft Fleur was, how nice she smelled, and - most definitely - how much she liked kissing her. Breaking the kiss, she smiled. "That was more fun than arguing."
"Trust me; kissing me is always more fun 'zan arguing." Fleur grinned widely, and kissed Hermione again.
Once in the library, Hermione realized there was no focus left for her homework. Fleur had stolen it all away. Maybe things did need to change, Fleur was not the kind of girl that liked living in secret. It was quite obvious that she was an immensely open person who liked to be the centre of attention, and didn't like to keep secrets from her friends. She wasn't the kind of person to hide in the shadows, instead, Fleur always walked around with her head held high, seemingly not caring about what other people thought of her. She differed a lot from Hermione in that way, who liked her privacy, and who liked to control what people knew about her.
Absentmindedly, she was browsing through a thick and dusty old book. For once, she didn't even know what it was about. Realizing how pointless that was, she sighed and closed the book, dust flying in every direction. Carrying the book back to where she had found it - quite naturally it came from some dark old corner – and, lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone. The book fell to the ground, luckily undamaged.
"I'm so sorry!" Hermione said, dropping to the ground to pick up the book. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Please don't apologize," Viktor Krum said politely and offered Hermione his hand as help for her to stand up. "Ve all have been not paying attention once."
Thinking it rude to dismiss his help, Hermione took his hand and Krum pulled her up.
"I am Viktor, pleased to meet you." Krum's generally sullen face was friendly and open. He was tall, wearing his dark red Durmstrang robes and for once he was all alone, his fan clubs nowhere to be found.
"I know who you are." Hermione laughed softly. "My friends don't stop talking about you. I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger."
"The girl who likes to spend her time in the library." Krum smiled at her. "I have seen you many times before, I have always vanted to talk to you."
"Really?" Hermione asked, and started walking again; the book wouldn't place itself back, so much for magic. "I thought you would have enough people to talk to, with all those girls following you around."
Krum frowned as he walked alongside her. "The price of being famous: annoying and rude people follow you everywhere. I vould like to think that your friend Harry vould know all about that."
"Yes, he does." said Hermione, not even surprised that he knew she was friends with Harry. Most people did after all.
"I am quite glad that you have run into me today." Krum continued as Hermione place the book back on the shelf. "I vanted to ask you something."
"Me?" Hermione frowned. "What about?"
"I have seen you around here many times before, and as I said, I've always vanted to talk to you, but I didn't vant to do that vhen we vere surrounded by other people." Krum started, "I hope I am not too forward vhen I say that I find you very beautiful."
Stunned, Hermione kept quiet.
"I vas vondering if you vanted to come to the Yule Ball vith me." Krum asked almost shyly.
"Uhm." Hermione began. "Viktor, I ..."
"I don't need your answer right now." Krum smiled, "I just vanted to ask you before anyone else did. I know ve have never even talked before, but I vould like to get to know you better. Please, think about it."
"Alright." Hermione said politely. "I'll think about it. Thank you for asking me."
"You are quite velcome." Krum nodded "Good night."
Of all things that had happened today, this was by far the least expected. Hermione knew Krum hung out in the library a lot, she practically saw him every day as she was studying here. He was always closely followed by a group of hysterical girls, and she had to admit she had wished quite often that he would just go hang out on his ship instead of - by proxy - ruining the quietness of the library. He was always sitting in the same section as her, even though it varied these days where she sat down. And now it turned out that he was trying to talk to her. She had to admit, he had been very charming, though she found it weird that he - Viktor Krum of all people - wanted to go to the Yule Ball with her.
Entering the Common Room, she wondered what Fleur was going to say if she mentioned this to her. The quarter-Veela was not going to like that news. While extremely charming, intelligent and beautiful, Fleur was also quite possessive. Smiling, she had to admit she liked that about Fleur.
"There you are!" Ron yelled out happily. "Will you tell Harry that what he wrote here is wrong? He doesn't believe me." Shoving a piece of parchment in her face, Ron smiled at her.
Taking the parchment, she quickly read over what Harry wrote. "Ron's right, Harry, as much as it pains me to say that." Handing the parchment back to Harry, she sat down on the couch next to the fireplace.
"Ugh." Harry sighed. "Well I am not changing it again. Snape can hang me upside down in a cauldron of some nasty potions, but I am not changing it again."
"I'd rather have Snape hang me upside down in cauldron of nasty potions, than having to ask a girl out to the Ball." Ron sighed. "They're so bloody difficult."
"You and Harry can always go together." Ginny dropped onto the couch next to Hermione. "Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Thank you, amazing sister, for your problem-solving abilities."
"I'm not some fairy, Gin," bit Ron "I'm taking a girl or I'm going stag, but I'm not going with another guy. No offense though, Harry."
"None taken mate." Harry said. "I get what you mean."
"Yeah," Hermione spoke angrily "Thank Merlin that you are not some fairy." She stood up, and left for the dormitory. As she left, she could hear Ron ask: "Who spit in her beans?"
"You did, brother of mine, you did." Ginny sighed, but then Hermione climbed the stairs and couldn't hear anything anymore.
DUMBLEDORE (Headmaster's Office, Thursday December 10th, 11.53 p.m.)
The frown on Albus Dumbledore's forehead grew deeper as he read the letter in front of him. Once he finished, he sank back in his office chair, threw the letter on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sighing deeply, he looked at his phoenix in the corner of his office.
"Fawkes," He spoke in a troubled voice, "Go get Minerva and Severus. I need to speak to them."
In a flash of fire, the phoenix disappeared of his perch. Reading the letter again, Dumbledore grew increasingly worried. The knock on his door brought him back to reality and Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape entered his office.
"What is it, Albus?" McGonagall asked concerned, her hair was loose and it was clear from her bathrobe and nightgown that she had been moments away from turning to bed. Snape, on the other hand, looked as he always did, whether it was three in the morning, or three in the afternoon. Clad completely in black, his eyes rested on the letter on the headmaster's desk.
"I just received news from a friend," Dumbledore spoke solemnly, "Berta Jorkins is dead."
"What?" Snape asked frowningly, "How?"
"Voldemort." Dumbledore simply said.
Sinking in a chair, McGonagall shook her head in disbelief. "I thought she was just visiting family in Albania. How did this happen?"
Folding his hands together, Dumbledore looked at his most trusted colleagues. "I'm afraid I happened."
When Snape and McGonagall stayed silent, he continued. "After the whole incident with Quirell, I figured out that he must have gotten possessed during his little study trip. So, in an effort to locate Voldemort, I retraced Quirell's steps. After a while, it became clear that the Dark Lord was residing in Albania. Nevertheless, it was impossible to figure out where in Albania, as he - as I suspected - kept moving around."
Sighing deeply, Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose again. "In my dire need for information, I decided to send someone to Albania, but the problem was that it couldn't be someone who was closely associated with me. Then I got wind that Berta Jorkins was about to take a leave of absence to go visit some family in Eastern Europe. The decision was quickly made."
"Albus!" McGonagall said shocked, "Of all people, you asked Berta Jorkins for a secret mission? That girl couldn't even keep her mouth shut on the silliest of secrets; she was never particularly bright, what in Merlin's name possessed you to choose her?"
"She was perfect for the job, Minerva." Dumbledore said plainly. "It is not like I told her she was looking for Voldemort, I just asked her to look out for certain clues."
"She must have known she was looking for something, I cannot imagine you convinced her to help you without making up something she was looking for." Snape said sullenly. "So what did you tell her you were looking for?"
"Merlin's ring." Dumbledore let out a chuckle.
"Albus!" spoke McGonagall shrilly, "And she believed you?"
"As you correctly pointed out, my dearest Minerva, she was never the brightest."
"So why are you telling us this now?" Snape asked.
"Ah, Severus, you always ask the right questions." Dumbledore nodded in approval. "Jorkins is dead, and Voldemort is on the move. Combine that with the fact that someone inside Hogwarts is trying to get Harry killed, and I think we have a rising problem on our hands."
"On your hands." corrected Snape the old headmaster. "It is not my problem that someone is trying to kill Potter."
"I figured that it is your problem, Severus, since I am quite convinced that our perpetrator is someone out of your old Dead Eater circles." Dumbledore leant back in his chair, pushing his fingertips together.
"So what do you want us to do?" Snape scowled, and gestured at himself and McGonagall.
"First of all, I need you to keep the news of Berta Jorkins unfortunate death to yourselves, the Ministry cannot get wind of that fact yet. Secondly, no one can ever know what she was doing there beyond 'visiting her family'. And thirdly, I have some assignments for the both of you." Dumbledore said solemnly.
Fawkes the phoenix flew up from his perch, and landed in front of Dumbledore, absentmindedly, he started petting the beautiful firebird.
"Severus, I need you to dip into your old contacts, and try and figure out what is going on in the Death Eater circles. If Voldemort is coming back to England, there have to be some rumours." Sighing deeply, Dumbledore looked concernedly at Snape. "I know it is not an easy task, what I ask of you, but remember what you promised."
An eerie silence fell upon the office as Snape simply stared at the old man in front of him, then he nodded, turned around, and as quickly as he had entered the office, he left it again.
Dumbledore and McGonagall were left alone in the Headmaster's office, the Transfigurations Professor stared at Dumbledore and the headmaster shifted in his chair.
"I know you don't approve of my actions, Minerva," Dumbledore spoke gently, "but I need your help."
"I cannot believe you asked Berta Jorkins, knowing fully that you would be placing her in danger without her even realizing it." McGonagall shook her head. "It was wrong of you."
"I agree, it was wrong." Dumbledore nodded, "But what's done is done."
"What do you need me to do?" She sighed deeply.
"We have a mole in our midst, and it is time we started looking for the vermin." Dumbledore smiled slyly. "I would do it myself, but this Triwizard Tournament keeps having hiccups, so I'm asking the next best person. You."
Pinching her lips together, Minerva McGonagall clearly did not like the request. "I'm doing this for Potter, Albus, and not for you." She said as she stood up.
"Are you punishing me for my role in what happened to Berta Jorkins?" Dumbledore frowned deeply.
"Yes," McGonagall said sternly "A woman is dead, Albus."
"I know. But it was for.." Dumbledore started.
"The greater good." McGonagall sighed in disapproval. "The time that you could use that as an excuse has long passed Albus."
The door of the headmaster's office slammed closed behind her, and Albus Dumbledore was left alone with his own thoughts.
FLEUR (Beauxbatons Carriage, Wednesday December 16th, 2.45 p.m.)
Dear Fleur
Your father and I were immensely proud after we received your letter describing the first task. We always knew that you were would be capable of anything, but that you would be able to beat a dragon - as you can imagine - never occurred to us. Congratulations.
Madame Maxime let us know that your tactic was by far the most intelligent one, and we expected nothing less of you.
Here in France, everything is going fine.
Your father's work at the Ministry is growing busier than ever, especially now that he is in charge of the Office of Magical Diplomacy.
Although I am convinced that he is using his work as an excuse to escape the house. Grandmère is visiting, and I have to admit that I am rather close to pulling my hair out.
I love my mother to death, but when she starts chanting in that ancient Veela tongue at five in the morning, I'd rather not have her living with us.
Her excuse is that she "needs to renew the bonds with nature" but I suspect her of doing it to annoy me.
You remember what it sounds like, don't you?
The Old Veela language sounds pretty much like mermaids' songs above water.
Screechy and hellishly loud.
As I'm writing this letter your Grandmère interrupted me, and she pointed out that the Veela can sing and that it does not sound like someone is screaming their lungs out. I disagree.
She also told me to send you her regards, and wants me to congratulate you once more on your victory over the dragon. She says you are a true granddaughter of hers.
We miss you a lot here in France. Good luck with the second task.
Your father wished for me to tell you that you need to write him more often, and I just wish you were here.
Love, Maman
Holding the letter in her right hand, Fleur stared in disbelief from the letter to the egg on her coffee table and back. It could not be this easy, could it? Was this what she was trying to remember for half a month now? That the egg sounded quite a lot like her grandmère? No way.
Like a mermaid song above water. Impossible, dropping the letter to the ground, swiftly walked over to the egg, opened it in one quick movement and almost got deafened by the intense screeching that came out of it.
Like a mermaid song above water.
Closing the egg again, she picked it up, threw open the door of her chambers and started to run down the stairs. Dodging her fellow students left and right, she almost tripped over her feet when she entered the central hall of the carriage. Sprinting towards the exit, she left the carriage and the stunned looks behind her.
A mermaid song above water? Was that it? Ignoring the freezing air outside - she was not wearing a coat - Fleur ran as fast as she could towards the lake. Instead of stopping at the shoreline, she jumped right in. She ignored the ice cold water, and the tingling in her toes, and waded her way towards deeper water. Then, she took a deep breath and disappeared under the waterline. The water had an sickly green colour, but Fleur didn't even bother to worry about the filthy greyish algae floating around her. Instead she focussed on the golden egg in her hands, and opened it up. Instead of the usual scary screeching, a chorus of eerie voices singing to her filled her ears.
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground
And while you're searching ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour - the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Smiling widely at the egg, Fleur thanked Merlin for letting her grandmère visit the house. Then - out of the blue - a hand pulled her above water, and she almost let the egg slip out of her hands. As she broke through the waterline, she gasped for much needed air.
"What are you doing?!" Inès yelled angrily at her. "Have you gone completely mad?! The water is freezing, and you just storm right in? You looked like you were about to drown!"
"Inès!" Fleur yelled out in euphoria, she was shivering and the cold above water had hit her like Thor's hammer in the chest. "I figured it out! I needed to hold the egg under water!"
Disbelievingly, Inès stared at her friend. "You have a bath in your room. A bath, Fleur!" Dragging Fleur out of the ice cold water and back to the carriage, Inès had never looked angrier. Throwing open the front door of the carriage, she pushed a completely wet and rather blue-ish Fleur inside.
"Putain." Isabella said shocked when Inès and Fleur stormed past her. "What happened to you?"
"Fleur decided it was a good idea to go swimming in the lake in the middle of winter." Inès said in annoyance, and forced Fleur to walk up the stairs to her room. "I pulled her out."
"Good thinking, Inès." nodded Isabella who followed them and she pushed the door to Fleur's chambers open when they got there. She took the egg out of Fleur's shaking hands, and put it back on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "She needs to get out of those clothes or she'll get hypothermia."
"I ca-an't m-o-o-ve my fing-gers." Fleur shivered.
"Definitely hypothermia." Inès sighed, "Hands up." She pulled Fleur's shirt over her head and helped her friend out of her clothes. Turning on the water in the bathroom, Isabella en Inès forced Fleur under the almost steaming hot water of her bath with shower.
"Non," Fleur tried to struggle "C'est trop chaud!"
"Well that's what happens if you jump in ice cold water, sweetie." Isabella smiled.
Once Fleur had stopped struggling and had sunken back into the water, her body slowly started to warm up.
"Well, I have to say, I never quite expected that I would force Fleur Delacour out of her clothes." Isabella grinned and sunk on the ground next to the bath. "What are friends for, eh?"
Nodding in agreement, Inès forced her attention back on Fleur, who was now enjoying the warmth of the bath with her eyes closed. "What on earth were you thinking?" She frowned sternly. "Did you even think this through?"
Not bothering to open her eyes, Fleur said: "Like a mermaid above water."
"Ehm, quoi?" Isabella asked confusedly.
Fleur continued: "Ever since I first heard the screeching, I've been trying to remember from where I recognized the sound, but I couldn't figure it out. Then I got this letter from maman, who informed me that grandmère has taken a liking to singing in Veela at five in the morning."
"What does that have to do with anything?" frowned Isabella and Inès simply shook her head.
"Veela's can't sing." Fleur smiled, still with her eyes closed. "Well, they can, but they sing in their own tongue. Which, as my mother correctly pointed out, sounds as horrifying as a mermaid's songs above water."
"Veela and mermaids descend from the same ancient creature: sirens. And while one lives in the water, and the other on land, and they don't have much in common anymore, they both have a very similar language." Fleur said, splashing the water around. "One that was originally meant not to be heard above water. Veela's don't use their ancient tongue anymore these days, unless for some weird chanting that according to ma grandmère 'connects us with the earth'. Unfortunately for my mother, that chanting sounds a lot like screeching and screaming."
"So what are you saying exactly?" Inès frowned "And more importantly, why did that mean that you had to go swimming?"
Fleur grinned widely "I finally remember where I recognized the eggs screeching from, ma grandmère. And then I realized that it was chanting or singing, or whatever. And that you can only listen to it under water. Because of the merpeople in the lake."
"So why did you have to actually jump into the lake for that?" Inès continued to ask.
"I admit that that might not have been necessary." Fleur smiled. "But I've figured it out now. I've figured that bloody egg out."
"Good on you." Inès shook her head. "Now if you don't mind, I'm getting out of this ruined uniform, because I'm freezing too." She turned around, and closely followed by Isabella, she left the bathroom.
"Inès!" Fleur called after her.
"Quoi?" Inès turned around.
"Thank you for pulling me out." smiled Fleur. "I don't know what I would do without you."
Hours later, and all warm again, Fleur was walking around Hogwarts, looking for Hermione. She found her in a remote and empty classroom, in a distant corner of the castle.
"Well, you do know 'ow to pick ze places." Fleur smiled softly at Hermione, and engulfed her in a big hug. "I got lost twice before I found zis place."
"That's what happens if you don't listen to my directions." Hermione chuckled, and kissed Fleur. "Now, what was so important that you had to see me so urgently?"
Proudly, Fleur looked at her girlfriend. "I figured it out!"
"The egg?" Hermione asked incredulously .
"Oui!" Fleur laughed. "It was so easy; I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out!"
"Congratulations!" smiled Hermione. "I'm glad that you did, I know how much you were breaking your head over this. I don't think Harry even bothers anymore." Fondly, Hermione shuffled a little closer to Fleur, enjoying her embrace.
"Krum asked me to go to the Yule Ball with." Hermione said softly.
For a second there, Fleur was stunned and she instantly let go of Hermione. "He what?!" she exclaimed. "What did you say? Non, I hope."
"He asked me to think about it." Hermione frowned "And I promised him that I would."
"You're not actually considering zis, are you?" Fleur asked disbelievingly.
"Why not? It's not like we can go together." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"And why ze hell can't we?!" Fleur jumped up, angrily, she balled her fists.
"You know why not." frowned Hermione. "We don't want people to know."
"Non." Fleur said coldly, "You don't want people to know. I would love to go to ze Yule Ball wi'z you. I would love to tell ze entire world zat you are my girlfriend."
"You know I'm not ready for that." Hermione paled visibly. "Going with Krum would mean that we could convince people that I like him, and we could be seen together in public without raising suspicion."
"I don't want to convince people zat you like Krum! I want you to convince me zat you like me. Because lately, I don't know anymore!" Fleur yelled angrily. "You don't want to be seen wi'z me, you only want to meet up when it is dark, or when nobody is around! I feel like I am your dirty little secret and you don't even try to convince me zat I am not!" Fleur could feel the tears sting in her eyes.
Taking a step back from Hermione, she dried her eyes and took a deep breath.
I'm not trying to force you into doing any'zing that you don't want to do." Fleur shook her head. "I 'ave been going out of my way to try and do 'zis ze way zat you want it to be. But 'zis is killing me! We 'ave been going out for almost a month and you don't even consider my feelings! You know what? Go wi'z Krum. I don't care anymore. Do whatever ze fuck you want."
Furiously, Fleur stood up and left Hermione sitting in the classroom.
GINNY (Gryffindor Common Room, Friday December 18th, 6.42 p.m.)
"Come on, Ron, it's okay. It could have happened to anyone." Ginny spoke in a soothing and low voice to her brother, holding him steady as he was staring with an ashen face in the distance.
"Err - What's up, Ron?" asked Harry as he joined them.
Her brother looked up, a sort of blind horror on his face, to his best friend. "Why did I do it?" He asked bewildered, and Ginny fought to keep a smile of her face. "I don't know why I did, Harry, I don't know what came over me."
"What?" said Harry, and he looked at Ginny. "What's he talking about?"
"He - err - sort of just asked Fleur Delacour to be his date to the ball." Sympathetically, she petted her brother on the arm, but she could see that Harry knew she was trying not to laugh.
"You what?" said Harry.
"Yeah." Ginny chuckled.
"I don't know mate, she was just standing there talking to Diggory, and there were people all around us." Ron gasped. "And I was just walking past her and then - I don't know what came over me, I've gone mad - I just asked her."
"Well, he more or less yelled it at her." Ginny grinningly corrected her brother. "But it could have happened to anyone, Ron, don't worry." She soothed Ron when he stared bewildered at her.
"Then what'd you do?" frowned Harry.
"I came to my senses, mate, and I ran." Ron sighed, and buried his face in his hands.
"Yes," agreed Ginny "it was quite the sight."
"She's part Veela," said Harry and he sat down next to his friend. "She must have just used some of her charms on Diggory to try and get him to go out with her. She's too late though, he's going with Cho Chang." He laughed bitterly "I just asked her."
"You two are pathetic." grinned Ginny.
"This is mad!" Ron said "We are the only two left without a date. Well, we and Neville.. Hey guess who he asked? Hermione!"
"What?!" Harry exclaimed "No way!"
"Yeah I know," Ron laughed, and some colour came back to his face. "He told me after potions."
"So what'd she say?" Harry said, as he grabbed an apple out of Ginny's hands and started to eat it.
Sighing deeply, Ginny took another apple out of her bag "Get your own food, Harry. And stop stealing mine."
"She said no! Told Neville that she was already going with someone! Ha! As if! You can't blame her though, who would want to go with Neville?"
"Stop it, Ron." Ginny said in annoyance. "Don't laugh about it."
The portrait opened up, and Hermione climbed through. Walking up to the trio, she frowned at Ron and Harry "Why weren't you two at dinner?"
"Oh, well, Ron because he made a fool out of himself, and Harry because he got turned down by Cho Chang." Ginny said, quickly covering up the fact that he had asked Fleur. Every time someone mentioned Fleur these days, Hermione got deadly pale. Even her ignorant brother and Harry - the Boy Who Could Care Less - would notice something was wrong with their best friend.
"All the good ones taken, Ronald?" Hermione said ironically. "You can always ask Moaning Mirtle."
But Ron stared at Hermione with an open mouth, causing Ginny to grab the opportunity to slap her brother back to life. Never waste an opportunity to slap your brother when your mum isn't around.
"Neville's right!" He exclaimed loudly. "You are a girl!"
"Oh, well spotted, Ronald." Hermione said icily.
And before Ginny could defrost the situation, her brother had made a fool out of himself for a second time in a day. I should keep a list, Ginny thought, a list of moronic Ron moments.
"Oh come on!" Ron said impatiently. "We need partners; we'd look like fools otherwise."
"Well then you can look like a fool, because I'm already going with someone." Hermione frowned and crossed her arms. "You should have asked sooner."
"No you're not." Ron laughed. "You just said that to get rid of Neville-boy."
Uh-oh, thought Ginny, and she could see Hermione's eyes flash dangerously.
"Did I, now?" said Hermione angrily. "Just because you needed three years to figure out that I'm a girl, that doesn't mean the rest of the world did."
Ron grinned and Ginny was close to hitting him again. "Fine, fine, you're a girl. Happy now? Will you please just come to the ball with one of us?"
"I've already told you." Hermione was now spitting fire. "I'm already going with someone!" And before Ginny could stop her, her friend had run off to the dormitories.
"She's lying." Ron said flatly, shaking his head.
"She's not." Ginny said, and took another bite out of her apple.
"Who is it then?" Ron said sharply.
"Not telling you, brother, it's none of your damn business." Ginny smiled and stood up. "Now I'm going to grab some dinner. Do try to find some dates before the ball starts? Wouldn't want you to look like a fool."
Walking out on her brother and his friend, Ginny swallowed. Hermione was playing with fire.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I estimate that I will be able to upload again in about three weeks. The chapter title will be The Yule Ball. I guess you all know what that means. My exams are starting on Monday, so I am afraid I will have to focus on that for a while. - M.