Harry wasn't particularly happy with Griphook outsourcing this woman and her daughters to him. He had already awkwardly stared at the woman's older daughter and when he had clearly been caught he looked away and kept walking as if it had never happened. In fact he was just now getting done talking with Griphook having to cut the conversation short so that he could show the trio around. Harry actually just now realized he had never asked the woman her name, while she knew his because of the Goblin's plan to mess with Harry.

"Sorry to only just now ask this, but I didn't ask your name back with Griphook," Harry said sheepishly to the tall beautiful woman as they made their way back to the entryway of the bank and to Harry's growing dread her daughters.

"It is quiet alright Monsieur Potter, I am Apolline Delacour, and zis," she said making her way behind both girls and turning to look at Harry with them while she placed her left hand on the older Daughter's shoulder," is my daughter Fleur." She then placed her hand on the shorter daughters head while slowly combing her fingers through the silver tresses on the girls head," zis is Gabrielle mon petit oiseau."

Harry didn't quiet understand the last thing Mrs. Delacour had said when she referred to Gabrielle but it sounded a little like a nickname or loving pet name. Either way Harry could tell the woman clearly loved both of her daughters by the loving way she ran her fingers through Gabrielle's hair and the way she had not so subtly proudly introduced Fleur. If he was being honest he felt jealous and slightly angry that the two had such an affectionate and caring mother, he promptly felt like an awful person having thought that and averted his gaze from the painfully wholesome scene in front of him.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," he said slightly subdued still not able to fully gaze at the people in front of him. As if sensing Harry's discomfort Cobalt peeked his head out from Harry's hood that the kitten had been using as a makeshift hammock as it hung around his shoulder blades. The two girls and their mother had noticed the cat but Harry didn't as it reached around to slap Harry's right cheek making him jump.

"AAAAH!," Harry yelled swinging around to see what had touched him. Of course he found nothing because the cat had hunkered back down in the hood making sure it was securely in place and wouldn't be flung out. Slowly turning in place looking in every direction Harry looked back at the mother and daughters who tried and failed to subdue their laughs at his startled confusion.

"It was a cat in your 'ood," the older daughter Fleur said through her strangely melodic laughter, Harry's face slowly began to morph in realization. That overgrown rat of a kitten had slapped him again.

Pausing for a moment after Harry had calmed down Mrs. Delacour looked at him," Did you say you are 'Arry Potter?"

"Um. Yes I'm not really sure who else I'd be ma'am."

" 'Arry Potter as in ze-boy-who-lived 'Arry Potter,"Fleur said looking at him her eyes trailing to his forehead reverently as if she had met a celebrity, which Harry supposed he may actually be based on what Ms. Septima had said.

"I suppose, to be honest I don't really know much about why people seem to know me. It's not like I'm anything special," Harry was fidgeting under the intense gaze of the beautiful girl. The only women who had shown this much interest in Harry had been his Aunt Petunia and Ms. Septima he didn't really like that ratio because one had abused him most of his life and the other he had only known for half a day.

"Anyway we should probably get started if you all want to get a jump on navigating Diagon Alley it's fairly straightforward if you give yourself time to learn the layout," Harry said averting his eyes from Fleur's intense yet captivating gaze and moving to lead the three out of the bank.


11:15 a.m.

Fleur's P.O.V

Fleur had been very shocked when she heard the strange boy admit he was Harry Potter. It was even more shocking when he easily conversed with Fleur and her mother without even batting an eyelash at the ambient allure that they gave off passively. Although, Fleur's wasn't as well reined in as her mothers it still had no effect on the boy. Making it even more strange was that due to Fleur's Veela heritage she had a slightly passive ability that let her sense the aura and magic of people around her this gave her a slight impression of peoples feelings or emotions at the time.

She could sense that Harry clearly found her attractive but not as intensely as she felt from people affected by her allure, what she hadn't expected was the underlying sorrow and longing when Fleur's mother interacted with her and Gabrielle. This sense also gave Fleur an over-all sense of the persons magic and while Harry's didn't have much of an inclination because of how little use it had practically, it did give off a terribly scarred, lonely, and longing feeling and yet it was oddly tranquil. She hadn't realized it but her gaze was locked on the boys back as he conversed with her mother and explained what each shop was used for. What happened next wasn't odd to her but it was uncommon to happen as she slowly saw a manifestation of Harry's magic begin to show itself to her slightly glowing eyes that reflected her magical sensory ability. It was a roiling mass of blue, with lines of red spiderwebbing across its surface making it looked like broken stained glass, and a slow swirling line of malicious green circled the blue-red mass that looked suspiciously like a snake.

Almost as if noticing her gaze the snake turned to glare menacingly at her and hissed in her head," be careful where your curiosity takes you girl," Fleur gulped at the not at all veiled threat and then she yelped as the snake lunged at her, mouth poised to tear into her throat.

This caused Harry and her mother to look at her in confusion before realization dawned on Apolline's face at what her daughter had been doing. She looked away as her mother gave her a disapproving look.

She assumed Harry hadn't noticed the exchange as he continued confusedly on his explanation of the shop in front of them," this is Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, this is where people regularly go to buy their robes they will be using in Hogwarts. Although, I haven't been inside myself yet. I'm waiting on Ms. Septima to come by and help me because I don't know what I'm looking for really in terms of good quality."

"What do you mean," Fleur asked.

"Well I didn't grow up knowing about witches and wizards and all this stuff, in fact I've only known for three days now."

Fleur frowned, his magical core had more use than someone should in his situation, in fact it seemed like it had been used about the same amount as someone who was raised around magic and used it accidentally for some reason or another. In fact it seemed a little more used. If he had been raised like a non-magique his whole life most likely he would only have used magic once or twice accidentally. None of this added up and it only made her more interested in the mysterious boy-who-lived. She also had no idea what that terrifying snake like aura had been, but it clearly was not from Harry himself, although it was closely intwined with his core.

This was becoming more and more interesting as she stared at him. She was still slightly frustrated as to the reason why he was not at all affected by her, it greatly unnerved her.


Harry's P.O.V

Harry's shoulders sagged slightly and he sighed at the obvious feeling of someone staring at him intently from behind. He wasn't an idiot he had noticed the looks Fleur's mother had sent her when she had reacted to something, and he figured out quickly it had something to do with him. Which, he assumed, was why she was boring a hole into the back of his head with her eyes. He really wished he hadn't gone to talk with Griphook today.

He put on his cheerful face as he looked behind him directly into Fleur's eyes causing her to flinch slightly and avert her gaze," if you like muggle clothes at all I know a good shop in Diagon Alley, it's actually where I got the clothes I'm wearing now."

Nodding Fleur made her way beside Harry while she was holding Gabrielle's hand so that the two could converse. It wasn't like she could get to know him by staring, and Harry figured it would be a good idea to get to know people at least near his age.

"So do you attend Hogwarts?"

"No, at least not until zis year. I 'ave been attending Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France ze past three years," Fleur said obviously she wasn't to happy about having to start going to Hogwarts.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better this will be my first time going to Hogwarts too. And at least now you know one person," Harry consoled her with clearly heard reassurance and a kind smile.

Fleur smiled over at Harry grateful for his thoughtfulness, maybe Harry could actually have a new friend. It would certainly be nice having practice talking to more people Harry felt like he was barely getting by with his politeness that had been beaten into him to make him seem more normal to people so he wouldn't embarrass the Dursley's. The thought of the Dursley's had him immediately begin thinking of his aunt and all of the awful things Harry had been forced to experience with and because of her.

No, stop thinking about that you idiot. Why are you even thinking about her, you haven't thought about Aunt Petunia in almost three days now. You were actually starting to be happy. Harry thought to himself unintentionally erasing the smile from his face making him grimace at his whirling emotions of pain and hurt.

Without warning Fleur grabbed Harry's hand squeezing it hoping to calm him down. He hadn't known it at the time but he was practically telegraphing his emotions in waves with his magic as he let the rapes and beatings play back over and over in his head. He wished he could say that he let Fleur reassure him and continue to hold his hand but he was ashamed that as soon as she had touched his hand he pulled away very fast looking at her like a kicked animal, before he suddenly realized what he had done because of the hurt look on Fleur's face," I'm sorry I don't like being touched."

"Oh, I am so sorry," Fleur apologized realization at what she had done appearing across her face," I just noticed you were 'aving trouble wiz something."

Apolline had noticed Harry's distress as-well but found out long ago that people feeling the emotions he was now needed time on their own to tell people what was bothering them, and as they hardly knew the young man didn't want to over step her boundaries and push the boy away. However, her daughter had felt his emotions and, being as inexperienced as she was, tried to help him right away. Apolline couldn't hold it against her daughter for caring about people but she wondered if it would cause the boy to close himself off further.

"It's fine just let me know if you want to touch me ahead of time," Harry couldn't hold Fleur's caring nature against her but if they were going to be friends he needed ground rules. It was also nice knowing that even though they didn't know one another that well she cared about his well-being, it was a nice change of pace and it put a small smile on his face as he looked over at Fleur," thank you though."

Harry looked away and didn't see the blush that came to Fleur's cheeks at his genuine smile he gave her, his previously dull emerald eyes sparkling with emotion, and his handsome face gazing at Fleur. Wait, Handsome? Where had that come from?

Apolline smirked knowingly at her daughter and Harry from behind.


2:00 p.m.

Harry had spent the majority of the day talking to Fleur, her little sister, and her mother while showing them around Diagon Alley, after the initial awkwardness of the situation he had found himself in he actually started to enjoy their company. Which was odd because just like his irritable kitten Cobalt he didn't particularly like being around other people but they were somehow different, it put him at ease being around them. On the occasion that one of them did inadvertently touch him he still tensed up slightly but it wasn't as bad with Gabrielle who was much younger than all of them. Which was why he now found himself sitting in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor with the little 5-year-old in his lap, happily licking at a scoop of chocolate ice cream while telling him about their old home in France. Her English wasn't all that good because she kept switching from English to French talking excitedly. Clearly Harry was her new favorite person.

Fleur was sitting next to the two explaining a few of the phrases her little sister was saying, which really meant she was having to translate and make the sentences intelligible. Cobalt had made his way from Harry's hood to either sit on his shoulder or in Fleur's lap to be petted by the girl.

Lazy git. Harry thought looking down at the otherwise hostile or irritable kitten.

"Fleur. Gabrielle. We will be needing to go soon, we still 'ave not finished putting together both of your rooms. We also need to be back for diner you know 'ow cranky your father can get if 'e 'as not eaten," Mrs. Delacour called over to the two girls joking about her husbands habits.

"Oui maman, we are just going to finish our ice cream and say goodbye to 'Arry," Fleur replied to her mother smiling down at the kitten that was purring.

Gabrielle on the other hand did not like this she abruptly scooted back into Harry's lap startling him at the sensation that he was beginning to recall the discomfort of and he quickly lifted her up," sorry Gabrielle but you two need to get going soon. Don't worry you and your sister are my friends now so I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

She wasn't to thrilled about being lifted off of her new friends lap but she smiled when she heard he thought they were friends too, she nodded at him and finished her ice cream before bounding over to her mother.

Fleur was just as happy that he considered her a friend and she gingerly picked up Cobalt depositing him in Harry's hands. The cat wasn't to fond in Harry's hands however, so he crawled his way back up Harry's arm and laid back down in Harry's dangling hood. This elicited another small melodic laugh that made Harry stare at Fleur before he realized what he was doing and promptly pulled his gaze away.

"I'll see you either next time you have to visit Diagon Alley or in Hogwarts," Harry said smiling at Fleur.

"Oui, I 'ope to see you soon."

And with that Mrs. Delacour took Gabrielle's hand while Fleur walked out of the shop with the two, they all turned to Harry once they were outside and waved at him. He waved back watching as Mrs. Delacour placed her hand on Fleur's shoulder as they disappeared.

I guess that's what Ms. Septima did when she first came to get me. I gotta learn how to do that.