"Bonsoir, mon chéri!" Fleur said as she opened the door to Shell Cottage. She placed a quick kiss on each of George's cheeks before giving him a hug. Though he'd never admit it, Fleur was his favorite sister-in-law. After the war, he'd accidentally Apparated to Shell Cottage while drunk. Bill hadn't been home, but Fleur had. She'd listened to him ramble on about nothing in particular, and then about Fred and life and the unfairness of it all. When he'd finally finished talking, she'd spoken quietly about Gabrielle and the Tournament, not comparing his loss to her potential loss, but relating to him. It was that moment that made him realize that he wasn't the only one hurting.
Fleur released him and offered Angelina the same greeting. She had never gotten used to the French greeting, la bise, as Fleur called it; always said that she liked her personal space too much to ever care for it. She only allowed it from Fleur because she liked her.
"Hello, mes poussins," Fleur said, bending down to grin at Roxanne and Freddy. "Louis and Dominique are playing on the beach if you'd like to join them."
Both of the kids were rushing off before Fleur could even finish her sentence.
"Vic not with them?" George asked as he chucked off his shoes.
"Non, non, non. Do not mention the devil child," Fleur said before disappearing into the kitchen.
Angelina and George shared a look. Being the oldest grandchild, if you didn't count Teddy, Victiore was unsurprisingly very responsible and intelligent; always the one to keep her many cousins in line. She'd been sorted into Ravenclaw, which had surprised no one given how her mind ran on logic. So, to hear Fleur refer to as a 'devil child' was disconcerting. Quickly, they followed her into the kitchen where they found Bill pinching the bridge of his nose and twelve-year-old Victoire glaring daggers at her father.
"Well, it looks like some sane people have finally arrived," Vic commented gesturing to George and Angelina.
"Don't drag us into whatever argument you're having," Angelina said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Victoire huffed. "I don't see why I can't get one."
"A dog?" George asked, taking his own seat. "Why can't she have a dog, Dad?"
Bill shot him a hateful glare.
Angelina kicked him under the table.
"No, a belly button piercing."
If George had been drinking water, he would have choked.
"You do not need such a piercing," Fleur huffed.
"Why not?" she demanded, her silvery blonde hair slipping over her shoulder. She looked so much like her mum in that moment with her fierce expression. "You have one."
George and Angelina's heads whipped towards Fleur.
"Ferme ta gueule!" Fleur shouted. "Tu n'avez pas besoin d'une bague et tu n'en aurez pas."
"Pourquoi pas? Parce que tu as peur que grand-mère le découvre? Sans-couilles!"
It was not uncommon for the Delacour-Weasley family to slip between French and English when they were having a conversation. Usually, it was little words here and there; Louis had asked for the milk in French once when they were at the Burrow, but had quickly corrected himself once he realized that no one knew what he meant. Ron, the idiot, had almost handed him coffee. Victoire almost never spoke in French when the other Weasleys were around. It was a testament to how adamant she was that she was willing to argue with her mum, not only in front of them but in French.
"Ca suffit!" Bill said "Tu n'auras pas de piercing au nombril et c'est tout."
Victoire threw her hands up in the air and stormed out of the room.
George burst out laughing as soon as he heard the front door slam.
Bill sent him another withering glare. "One day this is going to be you, and you'll wish you hadn't laughed at me."
"I doubt it," George said, unable to hide his grin. "What gave her the idea of wanting a belly button ring anyway?"
"She saw mine," Fleur admitted crossing her arms.
"Don't take this the wrong way," Angelina said. "But I didn't think you'd be the type to get, well, any kind of unconventional piercing."
"Why? Because I am blonde and petite and feminine?" she said.
"No. Because you're acting exactly how I expected you to when something like this was brought up."
Fleur rolled her eyes. "That is different. Victoire is only twelve. She is too young for such a thing."
Angelina raised an eyebrow. "So, she can get one when she's say sixteen?"
"Non!"
She hummed.
Fleur had the decency to flush then. George knew better than to engage Angelina when she was trying to make a point because she was usually right and always smug about it after the fact. It seemed that the rest of his family had yet to learn that.
"None of that matters," Bill cut in. "Because she's not getting any kind of piercing. Ever."
"It's a belly button ring," Angelina scoffed. "Not a tattoo. Which you have by the way." The last bit was directed at Bill.
Bill only glared at her in response before the back door burst open and Dominique, strawberry blonde hair flying in all directions, rushed in carrying a disgruntled looking Roxanne.
"We have a problem," she said adjusting her cousin on her hip.
"What happened?" Bill asked.
"Well," she drew out the word. "I might have turned back my back for a few seconds and-"
"They dumped sand in my hair!" Roxanne shouted.
"Give you one guess whose idea that was," Angelina muttered as she stood up.
George winced. He really didn't need a guess. Quickly, he followed Angelina over to the girls. She was already running her fingers through Roxanne's curls, shifting them this way and that to look for the grain particles. They weren't hard to locate, standing out easily among the dark hair. And it was everywhere.
"It itches," Roxanne muttered.
"You can use our bathtub to get it out if you think that will work," Bill said.
Angelina shot him a grateful look. "Thanks." Then she picked Roxanne up and headed for Bill and Fleur's room. George sighed and glanced out the window. Freddy and Louis were giggling among themselves, no doubt very proud for having thrown sand all over Roxanne's hair.
"Sorry I didn't notice," Dominique said.
"It's alright, mon amour," Fleur said. "I will be having a talk with your brother when he comes inside."
"Suppose I should have a talk with Freddy, too," George said crossing his arms.
"Oh, you definitely should," Dominique said. "It was his idea."
A/N: When they're speaking in French, Fleur tells Victoire, in a rude manner, to shut up and that she's not getting what she wants. Victoire asks her why and then asks if it is because they don't want Molly to see and calls them cowards. Bill tells her enough and says that she's not getting one and that's final.
However, Victoire does end up getting her belly button pierced. But she wants until she's thirteen and gets it done in Hogsmeade with Teddy. Bill and Fleur only find out about it because it gets infected after gets in the ocean that summer.