AN: To answer those confused, Harry wasn't affected by the love potion due to the seal on the back of his neck. It protects from mental influences, and I figured love potions counted under that just like truth potion.
AN2: To those complaining about 'nobody caring about Ginny trying to rape someone' or wondering why she was let back into the tower, I wanted to address a couple things. We know love potions are legal in Wizarding England. The twins sold regular ones at their joke shop, it was implied to be in their school text books, and Molly Weasley was show in book to reminisce about using them. England doesn't seem to care about them, which is why she wasn't sent to jail. That said, individuals can get upset about them, which is why Hermione and the Weasley boys, despite being British, were still outraged.
AN3: Alright everyone, for the move my wife and I have applied for and gotten approval to from an apartment complex to rent a new place, but I won't be able to move in till mid July. I'll still do my best to get these two chapter updates posted as I can but the BIG project I've mentioned will be done after that.
A Chance Encounter
Chapter 16
-Harry-
Standing outside the carriage with the other Beauxbaton's boys, Harry awaited his date. His gut twisted nervously as he, once again, checked his suit to make sure everything was in place. It was not only his first date period, it was his first date with Fleur and he was determined to make things go well. Ears pricking as he heard the carriage door open, Harry turned only to feel his mouth go dry. Fleur looked radiant as she slowly stepped from the carriage.
His date was wearing a silver dress that hugged her figure like a glove, accentuating her curves and drawing his eyes wherever Fleur wanted them to go. Her blonde hair was shining like spun gold, flowing smoothly over one shoulder.
The sound of her sparkling silver heels stepping down from the carriage shook Harry from his stupor as he offered his stunning date an arm.
"Thank you 'Arry." Fleur smiled, happily linking her arm with his while the other Beauxbatons girls behind her sought out their own dates that were awaiting them, "Shall we head to ze castle?"
"Fleur, it would be my genuine pleasure." Harry smiled, feeling like he was on cloud nine, that nothing could ruin tonight for him.
-Ginny-
Scowling, Ginny put down her astronomy telescope. She'd been using it to keep an eye on the Beauxbaton's carriage, having spotted Harry dressed up in some sort of muggle outfit as he waited for 'Phlegm'. Then the harpy had strutted out of that damned carriage like she owned the whole school. Probably used that damn Veela allure to entrance Harry.
Seeing the two head towards the castle together, Ginny huffed and threw herself onto her bed, having been forbidden by Professor McGonagall to attend the ball even if somebody asked her.
She didn't get why everyone was upset with her. Love Potions weren't illegal, and her mom told her all about using them when she was Ginny's age and needed to get a boy's attention. Stupid Frenchie trying to steal Harry from her.
She winced as she thought back do her dad's reaction. McGonagall had been forced to call in her parents about the situation. Given that Harry was technically a French citizen now, not to mention a champion, it was considered an international incident.
Her father had been apocalyptic, having actually shouted her mother down when Molly Weasley had tried to defend Ginny's actions as for the best. She'd never even heard her father raise his voice, let alone rage enough to cow her usually indomitable mother.
The only good news that had come from the situation was that Harry apparently wasn't going to try and press any charges or drag them to the ICW for a hearing. McGonagall had informed them that due to her age, her parents would be the ones held mostly liable for what had happened, and Harry didn't want to make them suffer for what he'd referred to as 'her mistakes'.
Her dad had decided to handle her punishments himself instead. No more broom flying, let alone quiditch. Her pocket money was now zero. Her Hogsmede privileges were revoked. She wasn't allowed outside of Hogwarts or the Burrow without him there to keep an eye on her. And she'd be sent to do unpaid summer internships to 'build character'. She grimaced at the thought of the slew of new rules she was being forced to follow, how her dad had threatened to make things even worse for her if she didn't get her act together.
As she lay there, hearing her housemates excitedly getting ready to head down to the great hall, she couldn't see how tonight could get any worse for her.
-Harry-
Holding Fleur close against him, Harry enjoyed the slow romantic opening dance he and the other champions were performing. Nearby he saw Viktor dancing with a little Ravenclaw third year named Luna while Cedric danced with Cho Chang.
Letting out a small chuckle he glanced at Fleur as she raised a delicate eyebrow at him in question, "It would seem us Champion Boys like intelligent women." He nodded to their friend's dates, "Ravenclaw girls for them and the most amazing woman in France for me."
"Charmer." Fleur muttered, her cheeks darkening a shade at the flattery, holding him tighter as their slow dance started to wind down.
"Doesn't mean it's not true." Harry chuckled, doing his best to not think about how nervous he should be. Fake it until you make it was the name of the game!
Fleur gave a weak slap to his chest even as she held him close, her perfumed scent filling his nostrils as the song came to an end. "Want to get a drink?" Harry asked as they vacated the floor with the other champions, giving everyone else a chance to use it and dance.
"Oui, I would love that." Fleur nodded before glancing over his shoulder, "I'll go get us a table." Nodding, he went to the refreshments area to get him and his date a drink.
-Fleur-
"Ron, Hermione." Fleur nodded to her date's best friends, the two not heading to the dance floor just yet.
"Hello Fleur." Hermione greeted as Ron gave a nod, both of them having an intense expression on their face.
"I assume I am in for ze 'shovel talk'?" Fleur asked amused, Harry having playfully griped to her that he lost two chances to do it since the ones he'd be doing it for were now dating each other. She'd consoled him that he could help her give it to whoever tried to court Gabrielle in a few years.
"We that obvious huh?" Ron snorted, an amused easy-going grin on the red head's face. With the support of her boyfriend along with Hermione and Ron's own siblings he'd seemingly bounced back from the callous opinion his own sister had declared about him.
"You're smart Fleur, and we're on a time crunch." Hermione rolled her eyes exaggeratedly "So I'll keep this simple. Hurt Harry and they'll never find the body."
"As you said Hermione, I'm smart." Fleur glanced over her shoulder to throw a smile at Harry as he filled up two cups of punch "Why would I ruin what I have?"
-Dumbledore-
Sitting at the back of the hall as he observed the various celebrating children, Dumbledore tried not to let his frustrations show. The ICW had found precedent for blatant score bias being cause for score editing in past tournaments so his stance from the first task was being changed. A side panel of 'unbiased judges' would be called to look over any score that any School Headmaster stated they felt was unfair and it would be reviewed on how credible that statement was.
Then there was the drama with Ginevra Weasley. The girl had tried to love potion the boy and, in so doing, drew the eye and ire of the French. If it wouldn't be written off as a blatantly petty attempt, one doomed to failure at that, he might have tried to make a statement about how Champions should not attend the ball with other champions as their date.
That said, with Ginevra Weasley being so focused on it might be possible to 'throw her to the wolves' so to speak, draw attention from his own issues with the ICW for a time. The public's memory was as short as it was fickle. Give them something else to focus on for a time and he wouldn't find any more issues going forward.
As he observed Harry and Fleur taking the chance to dance with other people, Fleur with Viktor and Harry with Lilith Moon, much to his surprise, he decided that was the best course of action for now.