A/N: Better late than never!
Yule Be Sorry!21 December 1994
The witch stepped from her room wearing a tight fitting, black Prada original mini-dress. The front of the dress was classically modest with only a hint of cleavage while the back plunged down to the waistline. Sheer hose encased her long legs but when she walked an observant person could catch the occasional teasing hint of lace moving higher up the legs. Her silver court shoes accented her calves with a high heel but were incredibly, almost magically, comfortable. While most witches knew nothing of Muggle fashion, she wasn't going to limit herself in that way.
Making her way towards the Yule Ball, the witch repressed a sneer. (It wouldn't be wise due to lay the foundations for unsightly wrinkles.) She truly hated this place. It was wonderful to represent her school in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but did it have to be in this barbaric place? The English couldn't even do that right. Now they had nine champions! And that silly little boy who was responsible for this chaos was now their 'host'!
Fleur Delacour entered the antechamber off the Entrance Hall where the champions were told to assemble with their dates. She was pleased to see her date, Roger Davies, waiting for her just inside the door with a bouquet of lavender roses in hand. The wizard may have been an Englishman barely able to handle her reined in allure, but he looked exquisite in his robes. He also had rather large hands and one never knew where the night could lead one.
Fleur was less pleased to see her cousin Alfonse standing with the Potter boy, Krum, and the other Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory along with their dates. Diggory was with a rather attractive Asian witch while Krum was with a beautiful younger blonde girl Fleur had seen eating at the Slytherin table. Alfonse of course was with his long-time girlfriend, Claire. Potter stood with an … acceptable looking Indian girl on his arm wearing a fashionable version of a sari. The group was laughing at some sally of Alfonse's.
The Veela turned to her date just as Headmaster Dumbledore entered the room.
"May I have your attention please?" the old wizard called. He may have been an Englishman but Fleur still respected the man for his defeat of the last Dark Lord, much more than Potter who was still a mere enfant.
"The dignitaries and guests have assembled in the Great Hall along with your fellow students. Champions, please line up with your dates. Mr Potter, as host you shall enter last. All set? Very well, follow me."
Fleur naturally placed herself at the head of the line. As a Veela it was natural to be the centre of attention. Her grandmamma insisted that if one had to make an entrance, make it a great one. Fleur intended to do just that.
Headmaster Dumbledore led the way to the doors of the Great Hall. With a gesture of his hand the doors swung silently open. An instant later, unseen horns blew a fanfare announcing the champions' arrival.
Fleur allowed Roger to lead her into the Great Hall. Her allure was beginning to affect him badly with the skin-to-skin contact of their linked arms. The poor boy looked as though his brains were getting ready to dribble out his ear. Fortunately he was able to hold off as the couple approached their marked place at the head of the room.
That was when Fleur noticed someone she never expected to see! It was cousin Kalina! Her sister Veela lived in the Bulgarian enclave. Kalina was standing next to an older wizard that radiated a sense of danger but was smiling like a naughty little boy. He was rather handsome in that bad boy way but dressed in robes that spoke of Galleons and position. She could see why Kalina was so obviously taken with him.
The champions and their escorts moved to marked positions at the front of the Great Hall at the foot of the raised dais where the professors' table normally stood. Now it had been magically expanded to allow the staff and various dignitaries to sit. Two round tables had been set up at the foot of the dais for the champions and their dates.
The champions were to stand on their marks and wait while the school Heads spoke their welcome. By fortune of being the first champion in, Fleur and Roger stood in the far left position nearest Kalina. The Bulgarian Veela caught Felur's eye and gave a smile with a sly wink. Kalina always had the most unfortunate sense of humour however she was wonderful in stirring up the old biddies of the Sisterhood. Fleur felt so relieved to have someone here to talk to that would understand her. Her friends were nice enough but they simply didn't understand what it was to be in her position. Kalina, while not nearly as culturally refined as Fleur herself, was considered beautiful and magically gifted even by the standards within the Veela community.
Finally, the Durmstrang Headmaster finished his gloating comments and the students were released to begin finding their seats for the banquet to begin. Fleur however had other plans.
"Come," she ordered Roger. "I have someone I must speak to." With her arm still linked into the Hogwart's wizard, Roger had little choice but to follow her guidance.
"Fleur, my dear! You look ravishing!" Kalina announced as Fleur approached. The Bulgarian Veela spread her arms and stepped forward to embrace the French witch. Fleur released Roger's to respond in kind; each Veela leaning forward to bestow the lightest of kisses to the other's cheek.
"Kalina, I had no idea you would be in attendance! I knew you were part of the unit sent to support your national Quidditch team but I didn't know you had returned here!"
Kalina gave a little laugh. "In truth I haven't left and now I am rather doubting that I will." Fleur looked intrigued at that.
"Really? The great Kalina- the "Terror of Bulgaria" - has been captured by a wizard at last?" Fleur asked with a wicked teasing smile. "I seem to remember someone that said no wizard would ever claim her heart." Kalina smirked in response.
"I did say that. However, the sex was so mind-blowing that I couldn't take that chance that someone else would get a claim into him. What's a horny Veela to do?" Fleur thought she was prepared for Kalina's blunt talk. However the heat from her flaming cheeks told otherwise. Poor Roger seemed to be losing what little control he had as his attention was torn between the two Veela. Kalina's wizard on the other hand simply smiled smugly.
"I had to deal with that for the last three weeks of summer. Thank Merlin for Silencing Charms," an unwelcome new voice contributed.
Fleur turned to glare down at the Hogwarts 'host'. "You are not needed here leetle boy. Leave now."
"Fleur!" Kalina admonished. "That is no way to speak to my favourite nephew! Harry, my love, come give me a hug, you naughty boy!"
Harry gave her the claimed hug while asking, "Favourite nephew?"
Fleur was shocked to see the boy acting … normally with the other Veela. And for Kalina to claim the uncouth English boy as her nephew?
"But of course, Harry!" Kalina exclaimed with a smile. Then she turned to the older wizard and scoldingly asked, "Sirius, didn't you tell him?"
The wizard, Sirius, smiled innocently back. "I guess it slipped my mind. As you told me to do."
"Hmm, I did, didn't I?" Kalina purred back. "So, Harry, will you stand with Sirius at the wedding? The poor man may need someone to help hold him up besides Remus." Kalina pretended to ponder. "Of course Remus may need some help standing also. He was a bit shocked when we asked him to be the Best Man yesterday after all."
Fleur was stunned at Kalina's cheerful comment. Apparently the Potter boy was equally stunned as single words came from his mouth as he tried to process what he'd just been told.
"Stand? Wedding? Remus as Best Man?"
"Well, it's only fair," Kalina said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "After all, YOU'RE going to be the godfather to my daughter so it was only right to have the other Marauder as the Best Man." Now Fleur was really stunned. The Potter boy as godfather to Kalina's child, a female child at that. A normal human wizard as godfather to a Veela?! It was unheard of!
And apparently she wasn't the only one in shock, if for different reason as Potter yelled out the first coherent thought to make it through his simple mind.
"You're ,,, you're going to let Padfoot reproduce?"
-I-
Fleur found her seat next to Roger Davies and with Victor Krum on her other side with his date, which Fleur learnt was named Tracy Davis. Potter sat beside the blonde girl with his date next to him. Rounding out their table were Kalina and her new fiancé, Sirius Black.
Kalina obviously knew Victor Krum from the casual way they welcomed each other. Fleur assumed it was from her time as a 'mascot' for the Bulgarian Quidditch team. Lord Black was talking to the Potter boy. Krum's date was chatting with Potter's about Arithmancy, which was Fleur's favourite subject. But this was the Yule Ball, not a place for a classroom discussion!
Fleur was not sure how to act. Aside from her date, Davies (who really the did not have a very strong mind to be effected by her so much), no one was paying the least attention to her. This was a situation that the French girl had no experience with.
"Are you really going to have me as godfather?" Potter was asking Lord Black. The wizard grinned back.
"Of course! Your father had me for you, now my daughter will have you. There is no one I'd trust more with her life and happiness if something happened to Kalina and I." The man paused and then his smile changed to something a bit darker and more cynical. "Just don't get thrown into Azkaban doing something stupid."
"Never happen, Padfoot," Potter assured the older wizard. "That's your shtick. I'll come up with something much better!"
Lord Black grinned at that. "That's what I'm afraid of! Trying to outdo the great Padfoot!" Then a serious expression came to the older wizard's face. "Plus, it makes you the Black regent if something happens to us and Cassi lives."
"Cassi?"
"Cassiopeia – It's a Black tradition naming after stars or constellations. Frankly, I couldn't care less but Aunt Cassi used to protect me when I was a kid and she was fun. Actually she was also your grandmother's sister."
Fleur was a bit confused by the two wizards. Both switched from almost manic good humour to deadly earnest with a disturbing stubbornness. She now recognized the name Sirius Black. How could she not? It had even been in the French newspapers with his escape, the man-hunt and then his sudden exoneration and custody of the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. She even had to write a paper on the Potters' betrayer in her Third year History of Magic class. That he would now be married to her cousin made her head hurt.
"So what's this I hear about Moody stating a duelling club?" the man Sirius asked the Potter boy. Fleur pulled herself from her musings in curiosity.
Potter was nodding. "He announced it this afternoon in his NEWT classes. He said he was so embarrassed in the poor performance of the Hogwarts champions that he was making attendance mandatory for Fifth years and NEWT Defence students. Apparently Snape made some comments that set off Moody. Then Fitch went off on how maybe reintroducing beatings on poor students would be a good idea." Fleur was repulsed at the thought of physically punishing students.
"Nice to see Fitch hasn't changed," Sirius deadpanned.
"Cedric did not do poorly," Fleur ventured into their conversation. The two wizards turned to her with very different looks. Sirius looked mildly interested while Potter looked surprised.
"Cedric shows a great deal of promise," Fleur asserted. "With some proper training he would do well in a balanced strategy." Potter looked a bit surprised at her words while Sirius nodded.
"And Mr Davies?" Sirius asked with a nod to her escort. Fleur was slightly startled as she had forgotten the boy. She turned and he was still staring at her with an adoring smile on his face. Potter chuckled making Fleur turn on him with a glare.
"What?" Potter asked innocently. "Rogers an okay bloke but I'm going to have material to take the micky out of him for months with this." Fleur continued to glare at Harry but realized the boy was not reacting to her glare as other boys did. Instead he just continued with his stupid, cocky grin! The stupid boy was as annoying as her baby sister!
What made it worse when Fleur noticed the older wizard, Sirius, grinning at her with a very similar grin of his own.
"Harry, stop teasing Fleur," Kalina admonished. "Or I shall start in on you." The Bulgarian Veela just left her threat hanging there as she smirked at the young wizard. Kalina was known in the Veela communities for her ability to destroy men that annoyed her. So Fleur knew that it was no idle threat. Yet To Fleur's surprise, Harry just laughed before turning back to Fleur.
"Actually Mlle Delacour, I agree with your assessment. Both Roger and Cedric have the capabilities and power to be good duellers, particularly Cedric. Must come from being a Seeker." The last was said with a shared grin with Victor Krum. "Your style of fighting was the most flexible and useful in a real world situation with multiple opponents. Victor's style was similar to that taught to Aurors to quickly overwhelm and capture a single opponent. Roger and Cedric had only experienced occasional classroom simulations, not an actual duel."
"And you could do better?" Fleur asked. Unlike her earlier tones, this was one of simple curiosity.
"Against you and Victor? Probably not. I've had the same crappy Defence professors that they have had. Sirius and another family friend just started teaching me to duel after Professor Dumbledore pulled me into this. But I also talked about the duels with Professor Flitwick and he agreed with my assessment of the duels."
Fleur nodded her acceptance of Harry's comments. It was actually rather similar to the comments of Professor Davis had made in her Defence class after the duels. The French Veela also noticed the proud smile on the face of Harry's date. The Indian girl noticed the glance and smile back at Fleur.
"I wanted to complement you on your dress," the younger witch commented. "Not many would be daring enough to wear a Prada original to a Wizarding dinner."
"Father would not even let me consider it," Tracey Davis said speaking for the first time since sitting down. "He calls it 'Muggle trash'. Honestly, the man has no fashion sense."
Fleur graciously accepted the compliments of the younger witches and returned them with her own compliments.
To the disappointment of the wizards, the witches' turned the conversation to a review of the fashions present at the Ball through the rest of dinner until the dancing started. Fleur suppressed a snicker when Harry took the first opportunity to escape by asking Padma to dance. Fleur decided Padma was the most sensible witch she'd met yet in Britain. Her large dark eyes sparkled with intelligence and wit. Fleur guessed she was in the top of her class in both academics and power. Maybe Potter was not the obnoxious brat she'd decided he was if he could attract a witch of Padma's calibre.
She would try to keep an open mind on it.
-II-
31 December 1994
Wizarding weddings rarely were performed in church settings save for weddings between Muggleborns. Even the Christians raised in the magical world preferred to hold outdoor weddings in groves that harkened back to the Druidic traditions of Britain. While much of Pureblood community was functionally atheist, it still used many of the traditions that survived from the Celts that first settled the island. This was a pleasant fact for the bride – as a Veela she was very comfortable in the forest setting.
A magical dome was erected over the wedding site to protect it from the Scottish winter. A layer of snow covered the forest clearing's ground and the tops of the surrounding trees. While the dome kept the grove a comfortable temperature, additional charms kept the snow from melting. Elaborate ice sculptures lined the outside of the circular clearing while an arch made of ice rose over the small flowered alter where the bride and groom would say their vows.
Fleur entered the grove accompanied by her cousin, Alfonse. Her parents were just behind her with her little sister, Gabrielle. Apolline and Gerald Delacour had planned on New Year's in the Caribbean but instead were chosen to represent the French Veela as their eldest daughter was also invited. Alfonse was asked to be her 'date' for the event because of his resistance to her Veela allure. As he was also friends with the Potter boy Alfonse would also be more comfortable at such an event than her other choices at the school.
The Delacour family was one of the oldest in France. While the Great War against the Dark Lord Grindelwald had devastated much of their financial status, it was still a name to be held in respect for its commitment to the Light and to France. Gerald Delacour had done much to restore the family's position working as an investment broker for Wizarding families looking to invest in the Muggle world. As such, the Delacours were used to interacting with the elite of the Wizarding world. But a family such as the Blacks were in a class all their own.
According to legend, the first Black arrived in England as the Legatus in command of one of the first Roman Legions to be assigned to England. The Legatus' name, Atrum, translated into English as Black. Legatus Atrum led a legion heavy with Wizarding forces and was the centre of many of the Roman Army's battles with the native magical people. Atrum personally led many of the expeditions aimed at eliminating the Druids and their way of life. Eventually Atrum took a local witch to wife and started a family. When the Legatus retired from service, he and his family remained in England becoming notorious for their power and practicing magic as Dark as their name.
However, the last full member of the Black family did not match his ancient family's reputation. Fleur found him to be rather interesting for an Englishman. It was not hard to see why Kalina was so taken with him. His air of fun coupled with the Bad Boy was like a magnet. Even her mother, Apolline, commented on it.
Suddenly the music changed to signal the start of the ceremony. The small band playing on traditional Celtic instruments started a joyful march as Kalina came into view with her attendants. Normally her parents would follow next but they had both been lost on a potion ingredient expedition to central Africa that encountered a nundu. Kalina looked stunning in her wedding dress. Even Fleur felt a small tug of envy on how her cousin filled the gown.
As Kalina moved to take her position, her soon to be husband appeared with Harry Potter and a grey haired wizard Fleur had only met briefly. All three wizards looked nice in their formal robes. For a second Fleur found herself looking at Harry Potter through new eyes. She could see him aged several years. He was already large and well-muscled for his age but in her sight he was now into his full growth and maximum potential. With his dark untamed hair and stunning green eyes, he had the same devil-may-care attitude as his godfather but coupled with the power of the great mages like Dumbledore. The vision took her breath away.
As a Veela she had always looked for potential matches that could strive to be worthy of her. Now here was a younger wizard that she wondered if she could ever be worthy of standing next to. A small voice in her head said she would never be worthy of it. It was strangely humbling to the Veela teen.
-III-
Fleur found herself wandering the large hall decorated by Kalina for the Wedding Celebration. Traditionally for the Ancient and Noble Houses, these were held in the wizard's ancestral home. However, Sirius refused to do so and instead hired out a ballroom in a posh London hotel. Muggle repelling charms kept the non-magical from seeing things they shouldn't. The guests had been brought by Portkey from the ceremony to keep the magicals from wandering the hotel's halls.
A small smile crossed Fleur's lips. She wondered if Sirius or Potter had placed a magical-repelling ward up to keep the witches and wizards from wandering out to where they shouldn't go. It wouldn't surprise her after all she had seen here.
The hall was filled with an amazing assortment of witches and wizards in attendance. Standing in one corner were the Pureblood society members that attended due to the importance of the Black Family. Another corner consisted of a number of Veela friends and family of the bride. In between was the wedding party itself along with Potter's friends, their parents, and the Tonks family.
Fleur was particularly impressed to meet Andromeda Tonks. Here was a Pureblood witch that rejected high society's role for women to pursue her own career as a barrister, marry the man she loved even though he was Muggle-born so completely unacceptable by society's standards, and was completely successful as a wife and mother. It undoubtedly took great courage to give up her place in society but it could be done. Fleur hoped for a private conversation with the older witch some time during the night.
"I would be offended about my date losing me so often if you weren't my cousin." Fleur turned to see Alfonso approaching with a grin. "Fortunately, I am not that much a Pureblood."
"Just when I have some hope for you, Alfonso, you turn around and display yet some more of your uncouth American manners."
"Yes, so much better to act the haughty, uptight bitch débutante that treats everyone around them as the dirt beneath their shoes."
Fleur gave a mocking sigh. "So, we all have our roles to play. Just some of us are better in those roles than others." Al gave up and started to laugh at Fleur's ironic-toned response.
"Oh well done," he congratulated her. "Sirius set up another room for the 'younger' set to have their own party without the old farts butting in." He offered her his arm. "Care to check it out with me?"
Fleur would have to admit that Kalina's wedding reception was one of the better parties she had ever attended. Not only had she been able to speak with Andromeda Tonks, but she received an invitation to use Mrs Tonks as a reference if Fleur chose to pursue her own dream of applying to Gringots as an apprentice Curse-Breaker after completing school. Mrs. Tonks also introduced her to William Weasley. She'd been thrilled to learn the older wizard was already a Curse-breaker and just returned from an assignment in Egypt.
Fleur had also danced a bit with the tall, red-haired man with a rakish, bad-boy smile and a dragon-tooth piercing his ear. While not a great dancer, the wizard had shown a high-resistance to her Veela aura. William's intelligence and quick wit were also a pleasant surprise. Fleur decided that she could work with a wizard such as William Weasley. When she informed Kalina of this the bride smirked and suggested Fleur was looking to acquire an Englishman of her own. Which was patently absurd. English wizards were just too … uncultured. (Even if William was rather impressive to look at.)
Fleur wandered into the 'kiddie room' as the Potter boy dubbed it. It was time to make her exit and it was expected for her escort to accompany her from the reception. The sight that she found made her stop in shock.
Fred and George Weasley were known to the students of Beauxbatons. The Sixth year pranksters were responsible for charming away the knickers of all the French witches as they exited their carriage one morning in November. Another morning they found them speaking in Pig Latin every time they tried to speak in French. No one could prove they were responsible so they went unpunished but it was commonly known they were responsible.
Now the pranksters were passed out on the floor with a pair of empty firewhisky bottles between them.
"Ron, go ask Tonks to come in here," Potter directed his friend. Fleur was a bit startled to realize Potter's friend and these pranksters were probably related to William in some way as they did have the same last name. She found herself hoping it was a distant relation.
"What are you going to do?" a petite red-haired girl asked Potter.
'There seems to be many redheads here in England,' Fleur thought.
"Well, I considered just handing them off to your mum," Potter answered the girl. This caused a number of the others to wince. "But I have something better in mind – it will last longer."
"What's up, little cuz?" a pink-haired witch asked as she walked in.
"Help with a prank. You up for it or is the big auror-trainee to responsible for that?"
"We need to get you away from Sirius, Harry. You are starting to sound way to much like him," the witch answered with a smirk. "What did you have in mind?"
"I'm thinking of pictures posted around Hogwarts of the twins kissing Snape on the cheeks. Then we can go from there." Fleur didn't understand as the group started to laugh until the witch mophed into the shape of the greasy Potions Master.
"A metamorphamagus," she whispered quietly in her shock. They were so incredibly rare – only a dozen or so in any generation. It amazed her the group of unique and powerful individuals that surrounded Harry Potter.
To her own surprise, Fleur found herself stepping forward. "I think some pictures of the twins in Beauxbatons uniforms would be appropriate as well." Seeing the surprised looks she was receiving, she added, "Witches' uniforms. I am quite good with clothing transfiguration."
Where the others looked even more surprised, Potter just smiled in a disturbingly predatory way.
"Welcome to the team, Fleur."
A/N: A bit of fun from Fleur's POV. The next chapter will have a bit more action as we will get to see the new Duelling Club in action.