"Terese! Réveillez-vous!"
I started awake to the lovely sound of Susanne yelling at Terese to wake up, as I did every morning.
"Shut up! Not everyone has to get up in the morning!" Zoe yelled in her perfect English. She lived in the English estate long enough to be fluent in the language. I assumed she yelled in English either out of habit, or to keep Susanne from seriously realizing what she said.
"C'est faux, ce matin, ma chère Zoé. Si vous ne voulez pas manquer la voiture, ce qui est." (That is wrong, this morning , my dear Zoe. If you do not want to miss the carriage, that is.) Susanne answered smoothly.
Oh yeah. In my annoyance, I had forgotten what day it was. Today was the day. That one fateful day when we were going to England, to Hogwarts. I sat up quickly and headed past Susanne, who was fretting nervously, to get to my Wardrobe. I stepped in it and shut the dark rosewood door behind me.
The Wardrobe was a gift from my Grand-mère. She had made it for me out of rosewood to match my wand. Only I could get in it. It was charmed to recognize and only accept my wand.
Grand-mère was a very strong veela, and she taught me and my mother to control and use what she called our Charm. The Charm drew others attention, mainly men, and attracted them to us. The Charm lessened as the generations progressed, but Grand-mère said I was almost as strong as Mother. The Charm appeared to me as a sort of silvery glow around my skin that I could dim or brighten. I had to be careful to watch it, because sometimes it did strange things to a mans mind. Grand-mère warned me to watch the men around me, and not to trust them, for the Charm changed people. Gabrielle was still learning to control hers, which was less than mine, but still dangerous.
The Wardrobes magic was completely made to help me. If I became angry or distressed, it became harder to control the Charm. Being in the Wardrobe could help my Charm dim slightly, calming me down enough so I could do it myself. It also held almost all my belongings. The magic in it also allowed it to transfigure itself into a little stone that I wore around my neck when I traveled. Never having to pack ever again was really nice. The little Wardrobe Stone was pretty too. A pretty bluish green sapphire that glittered around my neck on a simple silver chain. I loved wearing it. But wearing it at school was impractical, so I usually left my Wardrobe in my dorm, but today was the day. So I put on my silky blue Beaxbatons robes and stepped out of the Wardrobe.
Gabrielle glanced at me as I exited, all dressed in blue robes as well. "Fleur, please shrink my stuff down?" she asked, gesturing to the large trunk next to her. I nodded, and shrunk it with a flick of my wand. Susanne, flitting around the room searching for any last thing we might need, absently tossed her shrunken luggage at me. Sweet Zoe got up off Terese's bed to hand her and her sisters stuff to me. I took all our things and put them on one of the shelves on the side of the Wardrobe, shutting the large doors and set my hand on the rosewood.
"Tourner dans le charme, armoire de Vélane." I whispered to the Wardrobe. It shimmered, then disappeared in a flash of blue and silver light. I picked the blue stone up off the floor and slid it on the silver chain I kept in my bedside table drawer. Susanne, while rushing past me, grabbed it and clasped it neatly around my neck. I pulled my long silvery blonde hair out of the chain and headed for our bathroom to brush my teeth.
Ten minutes later, we were all ready to go down to breakfast. We were all wearing our blue Beauxbatons robes. Terese pulled her hair back in a ponytail, Susanne had hers in a high bun, mine and Gabrielle's were down and Zoe's short brown hair brushed her shoulders.
We all headed for the Dining Hall, only to discover Madame Maxime waiting patiently in our way beside the front doors.
"Madame, devons-nous partir?" (Must we leave now?) I asked her.
She nodded. "Nous devons quitter pour 'Ogwarts maintenant. cela va nous prendre toute la journée pour y arriver. Et Fleur, je suppose que votre sœur et Zoe veulent venir. J'ai déjà demandé et obtenu permisson de vos parents. Ils pensent ce sera une bonne expérience pour vous."
(We have to leave for 'Ogwarts now. It will take us all day to get there. And Fleur, I assume your sister and Zoe want to come. I have already asked and gotten permisson from your parents. They think it will be a good experience for you.)
Madame Maxime was my parents good friend. So every year when my parents and Terese's parents had to leave for England for work, they dropped Gabrielle and Zoe here to stay at Beauxbatons with us and Madame Maxime. It's happened for several years now, and Gabrielle and Zoe are loved by everyone.
Madame Maxime looked at us expectantly, waiting for our opinions. Gabrielle hugged her around the waist, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Zoe joined in. I grinned. "Je pense qu'ils aimeraient ça, Madame." I said. (I think they would like that, Madame.) The girls released her.
She smiled, then headed for the rest of the group going to Hogwarts. "Wait, Madame!" I called in English, hoping to get rid of the eavesdropping kids around us.
She turned back to us. "Yes, Fleur?"
"'Ooo will be teaching us? Ze Hogwarts teachers?" I asked nervously.
She grinned. "Do not worry, cher. Your Ancient Runes will not be dizzrupted. I azzure you zat ze 'Ogwarts teacher is quite capable."
I smiled back, but I was still unsure. Ancient Runes was my passion. It was started by the French, so it was required to be taken by all students at Beauxbatons. My mother was a very powerful Rune Master, so she expected Gabrielle and I to be the same.
"Fleur, you'll be fine." Terese assured me, patting my arm. "Now can we please get going? I hear there's food on the carriage!" she licked her lips and headed for the doors.
Susanne followed at a trot. "When did you find zat out? You were with us ze 'hole time..."
I curtsied neatly. "Zank you, Madame."
She scoffed. "Zere is no need for zat, Fleur."
I smiled. "If you say so, Madame."
She grinned. "I say, Fleur."
"Fleur, are you bringing that muffler?" Gabrielle said, incredulous.
I looked at her sideways. "Yes."
"You won't need it." Terese pointed out.
MAGICAL saut de linge
(That's French for line break, if you're stupid.)
I sat on a soft blue pillowed window bench with my face pressed against the window. I know, how unladylike, but I couldn't help it. Hogwarts was beautiful. The grounds were beautiful. The lake looked like a shining black mirror and the grass looked like glass glittering with frost.
But the inside of the carriage was beautiful as well. The walls were a soft calming shade of blue inside all three rooms. One room was for Madame Maxime, one was the main room, which we were in now, and lastly was where we all sleep. There were twelve of us in all. Me, Gabrielle, Terese, Zoe, Susanne, four guys, three girls, and one girls little brother.
"Adrien , s'il vous plaît , ouvrez les portes et de laisser le carraige des escaliers." (Adrien, please open the carriage doors and let down the steps.) Madame Maxime's rumbling voice started me from my thoughts. I realized we must have landed. Zoe was bouncing up and down excitedly, and while Gabrielle's veela blood would not let her act so foolishly, I could tell she was just as excited. Adrien, Anaïs Baton's little brother had jumped out the door and let down the steps.
"Venir." (Come.) Madame Maxime ordered, sweeping out and down the steps.
I followed quickly. Gabrielle's hand closed tightly on the back of my robes. I soon as I exited the carriage, I no longer felt silly for bringing my muffler.
It was freezing! I'm pretty sure I died. If it was one thing I hated more than anything it was the cold. I wrapped the muffler around my head quickly, making a noise of disgust. Gabrielle chuckled. She didn't mind cold weather at all, and right now, I hated her for that. One thing I hated about cold weather because it made me grumpy, and I knew that it was not going to be a good day.
"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts." I looked at the man who spoke. He had long blue flowing robes and a long silver hair and beard. His blue eyes twinkled, and I imedeitly felt wary. He was very powerful, I could almost feel it radiating from him. I would definetly watch him. I tuned out what they were saying and focused on the man. I figured out pretty quickly that he was the headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Fleur?" I turned quickly to see a girl in my year with wavy brown hair. This was Bridgette Ariail, a girl in my classes, but she kind of hated me.
I wasn't sure why, but Terese had told me that she was jealous of me. Bridgette had a couple of friends who hated me as well, and one of them had joined her here. I think her name was Bernadette Baudin, and she was flanking Bridgette.
"Oui ..." (Yes...) I asked warily.
Bridgette smiled sweetly, flipping her wavy brown hair over her shoulder. I lowered my muffler stiffly, refusing to wince at the cold. "Eh bien, Fleur ..." (Well, Fleur...) she started. "Vous voulez être dans le Tournoi , pas vous?" (You want to be in the Tournament, don't you?)
I nodded. "Oui Bridgette . Si je ne l'ai pas , je ne serais pas ici ." (Yes Bridgette. If I didn't I would not be here.) I said slowly and deliberately.
Her brown eyes flashed with anger but she forced her face into a relaxed smile. I loved that I was bothering her. She leaned in closer to me. "Je serai le champion de Beauxbâtons . Je vais gagner . Et vous ne serez pas." (I will be the Beauxbatons Champion. I will win. And you will not.)
She flicked her hair around and stormed away. Okay, so it was a rather stupid threat. But at the same time I felt really possessed to prove myself. But, my day was effectively ruined. Cold and Bridgette didn't bode for a happy Fleur. And by the way Gabrielle was looking at me, I knew that she knew that too.