Hey there :) Sorry about the late update but I have been extremely busy with exams and things. So this chapter follows on almost immediately after the previous chapter. There is a little snippet from June 13 which I have added in here, but the rest is June 14 :) Enjoy xx

June 14 1998

Her body felt numb as Fleur rushed after her sister. She found Gabrielle, crumbled in the long grass, releasing heartbroken sobs into the heat of the afternoon.

"Gabrielle!" she cried as she flung herself at her sister's limp form and pulled the girl into her arms.

"Papa!" wailed Gabrielle, weeping into Fleur's shoulder as she patted her hair. Fleur didn't know what to say, so she merely kissed Gabrielle's hair and cried along with her. Her father was dead. She had always known this day would come; Monsieur Delacour had been ill for a long time, but it still came as a sudden shock.

"Je sais, ma petite, c'est horrible!" Fleur said, hugging her sister tightly. It all caught up to her. All the memories when she was a child, when he had called her the most beautiful girl in the world. For once, she wished she was still back in France, to be by her father's side while he passed.

"Papa!" cried a little girl, bouncing up and down with a large grin on her face.

"Oui, ma belle?" said the man. He was stout with a black moustache and beamed down at his little daughter.

"Regardez ma jolie robe!" The little girl spun around, her pink dress flailing out around her slim legs.

"Alas, c'est magnifique!" admired the man, leaning down to kiss his daughter's cheek. "Tu est la plus belle fille du monde!"

The girl looked up at him through her silvery-blonde locks and smiled.

"Vraiment?" she asked with wide, sapphire eyes.

"Vraiment, Fleur! Tu est ma petite fleur, la plus belle dans le jardin !"

The girl gave a toothy grin and leant up on her tiptoes to kiss her father's cheek.

"Je t'aime, papa!" she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek before skipping away to see her mother.

"Je t'aime..."

"Fleur!" She looked up and saw Bill hurrying towards her. She quickly brushed away her tears and smoothed her hair. Fleur knew that she shouldn't hide her feelings from Bill but she hated looking weak. He rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking his distraught wife's hair.

"Ce n'est pas ta faute, ma cherie," Fleur assured him, trying to keep a brave face for Gabrielle's sake. "Zeeze, zings 'appen."

The rest of the Weasley family were coming out of the door to investigate. Fleur felt it exceptionally rude that they always had to interfere with other people's business; particularly now. Her father had just passed and she needed some time with her own family to process the knowledge first.

"Send zem away," she ordered Bill. "I do not want to try and act like ze perfect 'ousewife when my father 'as just died!"

Bill was a little surprised at the gruffness in her voice, but obeyed her wishes and went to ask his family to leave them alone for a while.

"Merci, Guillaume," said Fleur gratefully, wiping her eyes with the hem of her dress. "I don't want Molly to zink I am weak!"

Bill shook his head at her and kissed her. "You aren't weak, honey. You're the bravest woman I know."

Gabrielle whimpered in Fleur's arms. "Viens," said Fleur, helping her sister to her feet. "Guillaume, we 'ave to go. Go home."

Bill nodded solemnly. "Of course. We'll take Floo Powder to get back to the cottage. I'll just tell -"

"No Bill," Fleur interrupted. "We 'ave to go home – to France. For ze funeral."

The full force of what she had just said, hit her abruptly – like a bitter winter wind. Fleur's eyes welled up and she cradled Gabrielle closer to her.

"I want to go home, Bill. I want ma maman." It was barely more than a whisper...

xXx

Bill had never been to France before. Fleur's family lived in the South of France, in Marseille. It was quite a large city, the second largest after Paris. Although it was summer in England, Bill was not prepared for the heat of Marseille. It was a strange dry heat, unfamiliar and oppressive. But Fleur didn't seem to mind it at all. Gabrielle clung to Fleur's side as they traipsed up the street to Fleur's house. It was quite close to the beach, similar to Shell Cottage. Bill now understood Fleur's attraction to their house: it reminded her of home.

Fleur knocked softly on the wooden door and it opened almost immediately, as though they were expected. Apolline Delacour stood in the doorway, her blue eyes red and puffy from crying. Her usual cold expression was replaced with remorse, something Fleur had never seen before except when her mother miscarried when Fleur was six.

"Mes cheries," whispered Apolline, pulling her daughters into her arms and kissing their faces repeatedly, as though afraid that she might lose them too. Bill watched on in silence. He knew it wasn't his place- he barely knew Fleur's family at all and didn't want to interfere with their mourning. But then Apolline did something unexpected. She stepped forward and embraced him fiercely, reminding Bill of his own mother.

"Entrer," she said and ushered her guests inside. The living room was completely bare; all furniture had been removed, and candles and flowers decorated the room. Fleur told him that it was customary in France to let the deceased 'lie in state' at home for the family to pay their respects. In the centre of the room was the coffin, which Fleur ran to immediately, sobbing and clutching it desperately. Gabrielle joined her, continually crying the name of their father. Two women entered the room; a tall brunette and small blonde, whose hair was more golden than Fleur's.

"Fleur," they whispered in their throaty French accents. Fleur's head snapped up immediately and her face broke out into a watery smile.

"Élodie! Antoinette!" she cried, rushing to embrace the women. Their combined sobs filled the room, as the women clung to each other and uttering phrases in French that Bill didn't understand. He felt rather out of place in the gathering. Until he felt someone grasp his hand. It was Gabrielle. Her pretty, youthful face was streaked with tears, and she huddled into his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Bill smiled and patted his sister-in-laws shoulder- it was all he could do to comfort her.

The funerary ceremony was fairly short and simple. A local 'père' arrived; the equivalent of the English priest, and said a quick sermon and recounted the life of Monsieur Delacour. Then there was the 'asperges'; blessing the coffin with holy water. Gabrielle still clung to Bill's side, tears dipping down the end of her nose. Once the funeral was finished, the père left and the family went into the house to enjoy a feast in honour of the deceased. Fleur was a lot livelier now, talking and gossiping with her friends. Elodie and Antoinette had been to Beauxbatons and were now working in various departments of the French Ministry. They were quite attractive and Bill had an inclination that they were part Veela also, though he didn't ask.

At four o'clock, the guests began to leave and Fleur gave Élodie and Antoinette one last hug goodbye. Fleur, Bill and Gabrielle stayed with Apolline for a few days, helping her with the housework and putting the furniture back. Fleur often caught her mother sobbing into her father's handkerchiefs while she polished Monsieur Delacour's favourite gold watch.

On the fourth day, Fleur decided that they really must get back home. She gave her mother one more hug.

"Prenez garde, maman," said Fleur, kissing both of her mother's cheeks affectionately.

"Je le ferai, ma cherie," said Apolline, dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. "Gabrielle, demeures-tu?"

Gabrielle shook her head and gave her sister a smile. "Non, maman. Je vais rester avec Fleur pour un peu plus longtemps."

Apolline nodded her head and gave her youngest daughter a quick kiss goodbye.

"Prenez garde, mes filles," she said as she waved goodbye. "Je vous aime!"

So what did you think? I wanted to make the funeral a bit different, as it is in France. Please read and review! I enjoy feedback :) xx