Sylph: a slender, graceful woman or girl.

April 4, 1996

She stood before the floor-length mirror and examined the reflection. It was not new behavior. Ever since she was a small girl she had gloried in watching herself in mirrors and windows, spinning in the satiny dresses her mother put her in, smiling beatifically at her own sapphire eyes. She had carefully watched the way she moved, perfected an effortless glide.

Fleur Delacour had always known she was beautiful. And before now, she had always thought that was all she needed to be. Of course, she wasn't about to be 'ditzy' as that Rita woman had once called her. But it was never hard to charm whoever she was after. And before now, that had always been more than enough.

There was a knock on the door behind her. With a graceful swirl of silky robes, she flew to the door and pulled it open, beaming already.

"Hey, love," he said, stooping to kiss her as he slid into the apartment.

Even now she had what she wanted: the heart of a handsome, red-haired treasure-hunter. But it had slowly dawned on her that she wanted something else, something she had never wanted so badly in her life. She wanted to keep it. And she wanted him to take her heart in return.

Bill sank down at the table, a spindly little thing that looked strange with his lanky frame tucked under it. He rubbed his temples, grimacing.

"Long day?" she asked, coming over and putting her hands on his shoulders.

"More like long night," Bill muttered into his fingers.

She hesitated. "Eez eet ze Order again?"

Bill nodded. "After what happened to Dad at Christmas… well, things have been tougher. Let's just say that. Doesn't help that Mum seems to think Ron and Harry and that lot are going to end up mixed up in everything. It's practically an extra job just keeping her calm." He sighed deeply. "And it hasn't even started getting bad yet."

He hooked an arm around her slim waist and gently pulled her into his lap. Her silvery hair fell over his shoulder and their eyes met, deep sapphire on baby blue. He pushed a smooth lock out of her face.

"Have I ever told you your beautiful?" he murmured.

It would have been easy to melt right there. It was what she might have done a year ago, let all the bad things fade into the background of other people's lives, let his half-explanations cover it all. But things had changed.

She slid out of his arms and perched on the chair beside him.

"What's wrong?"

He leaned forward, concerned, running a hand along her cheek.

"A lot of zings," she told him, sitting up straighter. "Zat's why I 'ave decided somezing."

"What's that?" he asked warily.

"I want to join ze Order."

He looked more than taken aback. "You mean you want to fight? Don't get me wrong, I'd be terrified to be on the other end of duel with you, but… I mean, it's not even your fight. Your family, your friends… you could go back to France and be perfectly safe."

He clamped his mouth shut under the look she gave him.

"I am not fighting for my safety. Cedric Diggory waz a good person and a friend to me. 'Arry, too. I will fight for the same reasons you do."

Sitting tall and proud, she held his gaze until he was the one to look away. And there was an impressed smile on his lips when he did.

If she wanted him to take her heart, she had better make it one worth taking.

A/N: I really do like Fleur. And Bill, too. And their romance. Quite a bit. :) I imagine this was indeed the deciding factor that pushed Bill to proposal just a couple months later. Before this moment I imagine both were enjoying their relationship, but saw it as, well, not a fling exactly, but not something that would last. Then they realized they didn't want it to end, saw what each other was made of, and here we are. Alright, enough of my ramblings. I want to hear YOU ramble for a change.