Chapter - 6
Only trust and love someone who can see these three things in you:-
The sorrow behind your smile,
The love behind your anger,
The reason behind your silences,
And when they give you their time, she is giving you a portion of her life in which she will never get back.
Don't make her regret it.
"conversation" - conversation in a language other than English
The event that night went well. Zero untoward incidents happened until the event concluded at nearly midnight. As planned, Harry and the rest of the Aurors and muggle security personnel on duty oversaw the departure of the government leaders. Standing on the balcony, he watched the leaders take their leave one by one. He saw Fleur walking on the red carpet together with her parents towards their car, escorted by a dozen security personnel, all of whom were females.
Fleur looked up and threw a glimpse at him just before she disappeared inside the limousine and deep down Harry wondered if he would see her again. But of course, the conclusion of the event did not mean the end for both of them.
Harry returned to England three days later. Before he went back, he attended several security review meetings with various security agencies that oversaw the event in Paris. Vienna will be hosting the event next year. Any security weaknesses and loopholes they found needed to be dealt with before Austria held the next event.
Kreacher greeted him as he arrived at Grimmauld Place and after putting away all of his things inside his bedroom, he went to the kitchen. Kreacher was preparing him the afternoon supper. A stack of letters awaited him on top of the dining table. He sat on one of the chairs and began sorting all of the letters sent to him.
One letter somehow caught his attention. He recognized the handwriting on the envelope and immediately opened it:-
Dear Harry,
I know you were busy. This is just a reminder.
Love,
Fleur Isabelle Delacour.
Harry smiled and shook his head. The girl did not trust him at all. She must have written the letter immediately after she got back from the Elysee Palace. He put down Fleur's letter on the table and went to the library to get new parchments, a new envelope, and a quill. Once he returned, he began to write.
Dear Fleur,
I've just got back from France. I assure you I did not forget my promise that night. It's just that many things demanded my utmost attention that I had to drop everything else. These past three days had been a whirlwind of activities for me. I had to attend non-stop meetings day and night. It was exhausting but then, of course, it is my responsibility. I can't shy away from my duties, can I?
To be honest with you, I wished I could have one or two days off. I'm bushed but these stacks of important-looking letters that await me mean that I definitely need to go back to the office first thing tomorrow morning. Oh well.
I hope to hear from you soon. Give my warmest regards to your family, Madame Maxime, and her husband.
Sincerely yours,
Harry James Potter.
After re-reading what he wrote several times, he folded the parchment and inserted it into the envelope. His newly acquired gray-brown owl was given the honor of delivering the letter to Fleur.
Harry returned to his regular schedule for the next three days. Kingsley came to see him on the second day and voiced his desire to make Harry the person in charge of the DMLE's running. For quite some years he had been holding double posts, the Minister of Magic and the Head of the DMLE. It was time to let someone else be in charge of Britain's magical community's security. The Minister and the rest of the ministry's higher echelons had agreed that Harry was the best choice.
Harry of course hesitated. He voiced his preference for being a field agent to Kingsley before. Kingsley however reminded him that being the Head of DMLE did not mean that he had to stay inside the office all the time. He would still have to be in the field when the situation demands it. After much persuasion, Harry finally agreed. The job transfer was scheduled to happen within the next few days.
When he got back home late in the evening on the fourth day, Fleur's letter was waiting for him:-
Dear Harry,
I'm fine here in France. Teaching can be quite hectic. Did you know that I only teach female students now? After a few notably embarrassing incidents with the male students and the fact that they all went glassy-eyed whenever I was in the class, Madame Maxime decided to split the Charm classes into two, one for the wizards and one for the witches. The unfortunate teacher teaching male wizards is Professor Francois Avellino. Bless him. There were protests but you know Madame Maxime. She outrightly refused to change her decision.
I told Gabrielle the other day that I met you at the presidential palace. She showed no interest at first, knowing that you and Ginny were a couple but she immediately lit up when I told her that you are now single and won't stop pestering me about you. She also pesters me about her Charm marks and never fails to remind me that she is my young and only sister. Lucky for her she has the talent in Charm to back her up, just like her older sister. She also told me to invite you to our house in Grenoble. I told her that I would only invite you when you're ready.
That is all for now, Harry. I hope everything is going well for you. Please send my warmest regards to the Weasley, would you? I missed them.
I shall be waiting for your reply.
Love,
Fleur Isabelle Delacour.
Harry folded the letter carefully. The smell of lavender from that letter lingered in the air. He leaned against the back of his chair and smiled.
'Things are going well here, Fleur," he whispered. "Things are indeed going well."
Over the next few months, both of them continued to correspond with each other. Through those letters, Harry began to learn more about Fleur. He learned that beneath the unparalleled grace and beauty, she was just an ordinary girl. She never took it seriously about herself. She was haughty most of the time but Harry quickly learned that it was just a facade she wore as a protection and to sort out all the weaker ones. Fleur also didn't trust people easily. That was the first lesson he learned about her. Many months after their meeting in Paris, he was still unsure if Fleur would even begin to trust him. But in truth, even from those letters alone, he could see that she was kind, loving, and fiercely protective of her family. But of course, like every other girl that ever lived, she had a few quirks of her own. And Harry found the quirks whenever she visited Britain.
After the war, magical schools all around the world formed international cooperation, be it in the form of education or sports. The Triwizard Tournament that was held a few years back, which ended up in a disaster, was responsible for spurring the initiative. Staff, teachers, and even students from magical schools from all over the world like Beauxbaton, Durmstrang, Ilvermony, Castelobruxo, Uagadou, Koldovstoretz, Mahoutokoro, and Hogwarts made many visits to each other's schools.
Harry accompanied Fleur on some of the visits to Britain she made whenever he had some time off from work. It didn't happen very often though since as the head of a major ministerial department, he was very busy. It was during her first visit in which he accompanied her that he found her quirks. The tendency to speak out her mind and her penchant for blunt honesty did somehow put her in a tight spot quite a few times. Some people might feel embarrassed watching the 'train wreck', but to Harry, she looked so adorable whenever she realized she had accidentally put her foot in her mouth.
But it was not always about work though. Whenever both of them had some time off during her visit, he would bring her along to visit Muggle London. They would visit some of the iconic places such as the Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, stroll along Hyde Park, or take a ride on the Eye of London Ferris wheel. Fleur retained her dislike of British food, calling them too oily and too overcooked for her taste so they would always dine at one of the French restaurants situated along Bermondsey Street before he accompanied her back to her place of accommodation at the French Embassy in London. Hermione would join them from time to time. She never brought Ron along with her, however, bluntly citing Ron's embarrassing behavior around Fleur as the reason why she left her significant other behind.
Fleur of course had to cover herself a little bit more during the visits. Muggle men, like wizards, too were not immune to a veela's allure. Harry pointed this out to Fleur once. She told him that, unlike many other veelas, she could not hide that one ability of hers completely. She could only reduce it to some extent. But even without the allure, her natural, or rather unnatural beauty still attracted unwanted attention.
As time went by, their friendship solidified and they both grew closer than ever. Through the letters, they shared their hope and their dream, their secrets and their fear. They both lost someone they love.
Something warm eventually grew within Harry. A feeling that had long been dormant but never forgotten. He remembered the last time he felt this way. It was when the first time he realized he had feelings for Ginny. And now that feeling had returned.
Harry had fallen in love with Fleur Delacour.
But he did not know if Fleur harbored the same feeling towards him. They were close, yes, but it did not mean that she liked him the same way. They never talked about their feelings anyway and Fleur never showed any sign of romantic tendencies towards him. He had a hunch that she was still hung up on Bill as his name would creep up now and then during their conversations. All of these made him too afraid to ask. Too afraid that the one question would destroy everything good they both had so he ended up keeping his feelings for her to himself, not knowing where it would lead him.
Harry eventually decided to let fate decide. If they were meant to be together, they will. If not, he would just move on like before.
Several months into the year...
Ron and Hermione announced that they would be holding their wedding later that year together with George who was marrying Angelina Johnson. They had been engaged for the last six months. Both Harry and Fleur were invited. It was decided that the double marriage ceremony and dinner reception would be held at The Burrow. Everyone was taken by surprise to see Fleur and Harry appear together, even Ginny, and began to ask many questions. Harry immediately explained to them that he and Fleur were just friends, that he was simply escorting her to The Burrow.
The ceremony went smoothly. Both couples exchanged vows and later declared as husband and wife. Harry and Fleur stayed for the rest of the day and into the night, mingling with the rest of the attendees and old friends such as Hagrid and his wife Madame Maxime, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Katie Bell, and many more. Oliver Wood's appearance was a surprise. He came with his wife and their two daughters.
Somehow for some reason, Fleur never left his side all the time they were there. Harry noticed that Ginny was trying to approach him many times, especially during the after-wedding dance but Fleur successfully blocked her every time. She did let Harry dance with other girls, however. Of course, no girls at the wedding other than Ginny dared to approach him. They were intimidated by his date and saw how she upstaged them in every way.
Fleur herself declined any dance invitation from other wizards which she got many, citing that she knew what would happen to those wizards if she danced with them. Therefore, in the end, she danced only with him.
The house in Godric Hollow...
It was a few months after the Weasley's wedding. Harry finally saved enough galleons from his salary to buy a house. The location he chose was Godric Hollow, his birthplace. Of course, with the large amount of money his parents and Sirius Black left him, he could have bought his house years ago but Harry decided that he did not want to do that. Instead, he saved a portion from his monthly salary every month and took out only a quarter of his inheritance for the house fund. The total accumulated was enough to buy him a nice five-bedroom house located just outside the town of Godric Hollow.
It was never his intention to buy a house. Earlier, he expressed his desire to reclaim the ownership of his parents' house to Kingsley. Kingsley's advice somehow changed his mind. The Minister told him that despite his right to reclaim his ancestral home, raising a family in a house where murders occurred was not a good idea, especially if the murders were done magically. That house would forever be tainted by dark magic and it would be wise for him to leave the house alone. Harry felt disappointed but at the same time, he understood Kingsley's point. He began to search for a different house. He eventually found the one he liked. He sent some photos of the house to Fleur for her to see. The girl told him that she loved it. She asked him why he did not just magically cleanse his parents' house and move there. He told her that it was his initial intention but ultimately decided to forgo the house.
"Kingsley told me to let the house go. Given that everything Voldemort touches turns foul, I agree. The house will serve as a reminder from this moment of how difficult the fight for peace was," he said to her.
Fleur understood and told him that he had made a good decision.
Kreacher expressed his sadness when Harry told him that he would be moving out of Grimmauld Place. Harry made a promise to the old house-elf that he wouldn't abandon him, that he would continue to visit the townhouse whenever he could. He told Kreacher to take good care of the house as it was the only place where the Black family could still be remembered.
Five days after Christmas, the same year...
It had been two days since he arrived at Grenoble, dubbed by many as the Capital of the Alps due to its proximity to the French Alps mountain range.
Fleur invited him to Chateau Delacour for Christmas dinner three weeks before Christmas. Harry however told her that he won't be able to make it. He had to cover shifts for Aurors who got the day off to celebrate the holiday. Except for a few, many Aurors were already married, and since Harry was still single and did not have a family of his own, he decided to give others the chance to celebrate Christmas. He told her that he could only visit on the third day.
Fleur accepted.
It was one day before New Year's Eve. The temperature was falling, signaling the oncoming winter. He, Fleur, and Gabrielle were walking along the street of Rue Saint-Sulpice on their way to the bottom station of Le Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire du Toivet, a funicular train well known for its track's steep inclination. Harry stayed in one of the hotels near the funicular railway bottom station and Fleur, who was able to drive a car, fetched him from his hotel and brought him on a tour around the city of Grenoble. Gabrielle only joined them on the second day. Fleur had no choice but to bring her sister along as Gabrielle wouldn't stop bugging her day and night about wanting to join her and Harry. Harry told her that he did not mind Gabrielle tagging along. They spent the whole morning at the village of Saint-Hilaire du Toivet before descending and stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants in the city.
The Delacour family invited him for dinner that night and Harry knew he had to get prepared so after lunch, he and the Delacour sisters went their separate ways. Harry went back to his hotel and at half-past five, he took a taxi towards Chateau Delacour which was located in a village on the outskirts of the city. The journey took him about twenty minutes through winding country roads and beautiful villages. It was not long before he could finally see the house where Fleur lived.
The marble white building certainly deserved the word chateau to its name. It was huge, much bigger than an average country house, and was certainly much bigger than Malfoy Manor with a sprawling, well-kept lawn and beautiful French garden. The taxi entered the huge archway and traveled through the gravel road that split the front main lawn in half. It stopped at the marble entrance stair and after paying the driver, he exited the vehicle. Harry took the time to absorb the surroundings. The chateau was indeed surrounded by a well-kept garden and to his left, he saw a huge car garage. He raised his eyebrows and let out a low whistle when he noticed two Rolls-Royce Phantom cars occupying part of the garage space and, as much as French patriotism could get, a Citroen C6 along with several sports cars. One of them belongs to Fleur. A helipad was located not far from the garage. To his right and located a little bit further away was a swimming pool. A lake bordered the chateau compound. A boat dock with a viewing platform could be seen not far away from the swimming pool. It was very different from Shell Cottage, the house where Fleur and Bill once resided.
While he knew that Monsieur Delacour was a big shot in France, what with his political and business influences, he never expected the Delacour to be this wealthy. When the first time he saw Mr. and Mrs. Delacour at the Burrow, the way they dressed and the way they behaved was so proper that one would expect that they were simply a nice French family rather than a crazily rich one. Bill himself never talked much about his in-laws anyway and Harry never sought to ask him.
A blast of cold evening air woke him up from his reminiscent. Shaking his head, he proceeded to push the doorbell. A house-elf dressed in a white tuxedo greeted him.
"May I help you?" squeaked the house elf in French.
Harry knew a little bit of French so he understood what the elf said. Unfortunately, his grasp of that language at that time wasn't enough to allow him to properly converse in it. He decided to reply in English, hoping that the house-elf, in turn, understood him.
"My name is Harry Potter. I was invited here by the patriarch of the Delacour," said Harry.
The house elf bowed. "Indeed young sir. Pleeze come in. Zhey iz expecting you." The elf then made way for Harry to enter.
"Thank you," said Harry as he stepped over the threshold and into the chateau.
The house-elf guided Harry to the center of a cavernous lobby and told him to wait while he alerted the host.
Harry stood there alone, marveling at the luxurious decor of the chateau's lobby. Various paintings and marble statues lined up the walls. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling at the center of the lobby, its illumination complemented the light projected by various wall-hanging lamps placed strategically around the lobby. Under the chandelier stood a huge Christmas tree. A huge marble staircase lay in front of him that led to the first floor of the chateau. Two oak doors flanked the sweeping stair and to his right, he saw a broom rack-mounted against the wall. A black marble fireplace large enough for an average-sized adult to stand in it was located at the left wall. Harry noticed that the fireplace did not have any firewood in it which would only mean one thing. That fireplace was meant only for Floo travel. It was good to know that despite owning several luxurious muggle cars, the family did not abandon magical transportation.
"Zhis iz a 'ouse, not a museum, 'Arry Potter."
Harry turned his gaze towards the top of the stairs and saw a girl wearing a shoulder strapless dress made out of silvery satin that went down and fully covered her feet standing on the first-floor balcony. She was looking at him. Her long, wavy hair was tied in a bun. A silver necklace adorning her neck matched her earrings.
She looked truly ravishing in them.
"Though I must say, Papa's penchant for collecting arts and antiques does make me feel like living in one. You look nice."
"And you look beautiful. I'm sorry, I was just looking around. I hope this will be enough. I've never been to a dinner at a girl's house before," said Harry, referring to the tuxedo he was wearing.
Fleur smiled. "It iz understandable. I take it zhat you wear tuxedo only when you are on duty?"
"And during weddings," Harry added. "That was it."
Fleur let out a laugh. She then walked down the stairs and upon arriving in front of Harry, held out her right hand to him. Harry took the hand and kissed the back of it.
"Zhis would be enough, Monsieur Potter," she said softly. "I saw zhe taxi. I know you 'ave arrived. You took some time to knock on zhe door."
"I-, I was busy absorbing the surroundings," Harry admitted rather sheepishly. "Not going to lie, my mind was blown away by what I saw."
Fleur smiled. "It's only a 'ouse, 'Arry."
"Yeah but still, it's very nice. I didn't know it would be this magnificent. Funny, Bill never told-."
"I told Bill not to tell anyone," Fleur interrupted him. She was dead serious from the look on her face. "It waz zhe same zhing I told my former parent-in-law when zhey visited zhe chateau after Bill and I got married. People are going to talk if zhey know zhat Bill waz marrying zhe daughter of an extremely rich man. We both know how zhe Weasley waz like. Zhe differences between our families are too large. I don't want people talking bad zhings behind zheir back and also behind mine."
Harry went silent. He was at loss for what to say to her. A few moments later, he ended up apologizing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Zhat's okay, 'Arry. You don't 'ave to apologize," said Fleur. "But I do 'ope zhat you won't spread zhe words over zhere. Zhe Delacours are well known in France and mainland Europe but not over zhe English Channel. I prefer to keep it zhat way."
"You have my word, Fleur," Harry tried to assure her. "I won't say a word."
"Zhank you, 'Arry."
At that very moment, they heard another voice coming from upstairs. They looked up and saw Gabrielle. A female house-elf followed her as it tried desperately to adjust the dress Gabrielle was wearing.
"I know I should not have chosen this dress! I am such an idiot!" she grumbled.
"Gabby!" called out Fleur. "Stop complaining. You look beautiful. Now come down here. Our guest has arrived."
Gabrielle looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw her sister and Harry. She immediately ran down the stairs and began to speak in rapid French with Harry the moment she arrived in front of him. Fleur had to calm her sister down.
"She was apologizing to you," said Fleur who knew Harry spoke very little French. She then turned towards Gabrielle. "Where are mama and papa?"
Fleur's question was answered when the oak door on the right opened, revealing Mr. and Mrs. Delacour.
"Monsieur Potter," said Monsieur Delacour as he walked towards the three of them. "Welcome to our 'ome."
"Sir," said Harry. He bowed to Monsieur Delacour and shook hands with him. "It is an honor to be here."
Monsieur Delacour smiled. He had yet to let go of Harry's hand. "Zhe 'onor belongs to us," he said. He then gestured to the woman who stood beside him. "I'm sure you remember my wife, Appoline."
Appoline Delacour, the mother of Fleur and Gabrielle, was certainly a woman of unparalleled beauty. She was probably not a lot younger than Monsieur Delacour but her appearance did not show that. Anyone who did not know her would probably guesstimate her age to be around the mid-twenties or early thirties.
Appoline stepped forward and held out her hand to him. He took the hand and kissed the back of it. "Mrs. Delacour."
"You certainly look different from zhe first time we saw you. Time flies, izn't it, Monsieur Potter?" said Mrs. Delacour.
Harry smiled and nodded. "Time indeed flies, Mrs. Delacour. But you still look ageless as you always were."
Appoline raised her silvery eyebrows. "Flatterer. I didn't know you share zhe same trait az my husband," she said as she glanced at her husband.
Harry turned to look at Monsieur Delacour. "Same trait?"
But the Delacour patriarch just chuckled. Instead of answering Harry's question, he gestured all of them towards the chateau's dining hall. "Come. Let's not keep our guests waiting," he said.
The chateau's dining hall was just as, if not more, grand-looking as the whole house. Its arched ceiling was high and decorated with Renaissance paintings. Two huge chandeliers hung high from the beautiful ceiling providing illumination for the hall. At the center of the hall was a long dining table that could seat around thirty guests. Bouquets of red roses were placed in the middle of it.
Monsieur Delacour gestured them all to the high back seats. As soon as they sat at the table, dishes upon dishes of sumptuous French cuisines magically appeared on the table.
It took Harry by surprise. The way the dishes appeared on the table made him wonder if the chateau's kitchen was under the dining hall, just like the one at Hogwarts.
Dinner with the Delacours was pleasant. Soon after, all the doubts that surfaced inside him the moment he arrived at the chateau had all but disappeared. His hosts knew how to make him feel at home. They ate and conversed. The more Harry learned about the Delacours, the more impressed he becomes.
The House of Delacour was well known not only for their political connections and business acumen but also for their association with veelas. Monsieur Delacour was not the only Delacours who married a veela. Unlike its Bulgarian counterpart, French veelas belong to a higher class bloodline that dates back thousands of years ago. The Delacour bloodline meanwhile was well known for their tact in business and their influences in French politics for hundreds of years.
Another fact that surprised Harry so much was that Appoline, Fleur and Gabrielle were not half or quarter veelas like everyone was led to believe. They were pureblood veelas. The vision of them sprouting feathers all over their body and beaks growing out of their face invaded his mind momentarily. He immediately shook it off.
"'Alf and quarter veelas were just a myth", said Monsieur Delacour. He mentioned that if quarter or half veelas existed, they would have long become extinct since all veelas were essentially female.
The dinner soon ended. Monsieur Delacour invited Harry for a drink inside his study room. Appoline and her two daughters meanwhile headed towards the kitchen.
Monsieur Delacour's study was surprisingly spartan compared to the rest of the house. There were books, of course, neatly arranged on shelves that lined every wall. There was a large window and two high-back armchairs facing towards it. Between the chairs was a small coffee table. Monsieur Delacour gestured Harry to one of the chairs. He walked towards the wine rack located just beside the window. He took out two empty glasses and poured wine into them. He handed one to Harry. Harry muttered thanks and took a sip.
"Chateau d'Yequem Sauternes," said Monsieur Delacour as he sat on the other chair. "The finest wine ever produced by the French. Sweet. A little bit tangy. Very subtle and quite rare. The muggle knows their drinks."
Harry nodded. He had to agree. He was used to cheap firewhisky and butterbeer. The glass of wine he was holding at that moment was entirely something else. He had never tasted anything quite like it. Given the Delacours' status and wealth, Harry suspected the wine would be prohibitively expensive per bottle to buy.
They continued to chat. Monsieur Delacour told Harry about his family, about Bill, and the aftermath of Bill's death. His son-in-law's demise hit the family hard and from what Harry surmised, they loved Bill. The Weasley's eldest son was the first outsider who managed to get over the veela's allure and married one.
"What do you want with my daughter, 'Arry?" Monsieur Delacour suddenly asked Harry.
That question took Harry by surprise. He stared incredulously at Monsieur Delacour. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, sir," he said.
"Oh, I'm sure you know what I mean, Monsieur Potter," said Monsieur Delacour. He leaned back against the back of his chair. Not once his bright blue eyes waver from the young man sitting in front of him. "It iz not zhat difficult to zhink. Not many outsiders aside from our relatives, close friends, business partners, and government officials ever set zheir foot in zhis house. Fleur invited you 'ere. I am sure zhere must be somezhing."
"Sir, forgive me but Fleur invited me here for dinner. Just dinner. The way I see it, it's merely an invitation from an old friend to another old friend. I accepted her invitation solely on that capacity. She is my best friend, just like Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, I'm sure you remember them. I have no motive, ulterior or not," replied Harry calmly.
"I see," said Monsieur Delacour as he looked at Harry seriously. "So zhere iz no love in zhere somewhere? None at all?"
The truth was, he did harbor romantic feelings towards Fleur. He didn't want to fall in love with her but it happened anyway and that feeling grew stronger day by day. It was only via the Auror training he received that enabled him to suppress his feelings and emotions towards her. There were too many things that he liked about Fleur, too many things that she impressed him with.
For a split second, he wanted to confess his true feelings but ultimately decided not to. There was no knowing what Fleur felt about him and it would be very embarrassing and hurtful if that feeling wasn't reciprocated by the other party. And Fleur's parents knowing about it would make it even worse.
"Only as a friend. Nothing more. She is a wonderful girl and certainly deserves someone very special," said Harry.
"Are you sure?" asked Monsieur Delacour, cocking his eyebrows.
Harry replied, "Very sure. We enjoyed each other company but we never talked about anything romantic. There is no reason for me and her to push our friendship further than it is."
Monsieur Delacour nodded. "I believe you," he simply said. "Fleur invited many of 'er friends over. I guessed zhat she sees you az one."
"As she should," said Harry.
Monsieur Delacour then put down his glass and walked towards the window. Harry simply looked on.
Uncomfortable silence grew between them. Monsieur Delacour continued to stare out the window and Harry just sat alone, his hands playing with the glass he was holding.
"Peaceful, izn't it?" asked Monsieur Delacour. From where he stood, he could see lights coming in from nearby country homes. "My brozhers and seesters love zhe cities. I on zhe ozher 'and love zhe tranquilities zhis place offers. Zhiz iz exactly zhe reason why I chose zhis location to build a home. Do you trust 'er, 'Arry?"
"I do," answered Harry. "She had done more than she could during the war, even to the detriment of her safety. I really can't ask her for more."
"Zhen I zhink it would be comforting for you to know zhat she trusts you as well. Otherwise, you won't be 'ere inside zhis house," said Monsieur Delacour, still looking out the window. "Trust iz very important to a veela due to zheir very nature. Zheir trust cannot easily be obtained but it could be very easily taken away. Zhat iz one zhing I want you to remember. My daughter gave you a precious gift. I do expect you to take care of it properly."
"Of course, sir. I will," said Harry.
Monsieur Delacour nodded in satisfaction. "Now on to a more pressing matter," he said as he turned to face Harry. "I know it would be 'ighly inappropriate for me to do zhis, but I do 'ope zhat you and Fleur would become more zhan just friends."
Harry was taken aback. "Sir?"
But Monsieur Delacour pretended not to notice Harry's reaction. He continued, "'Arry, this family was tested by William's untimely death. Fleur's mental condition was deteriorating and she got worse after we brought 'er back to France. Both Appoline and I know zhat our eldest daughter waz losing it. We tried to prevent 'er from wasting away. We took 'er to zhe veela's sanctuary and asked zhe veela priestesses zhere for 'elp. Zhey did what zhey could. Zhankfully it worked but only to some degree. It was zhen Madame Maxime 'eard of 'er predicament. She loves Fleur like she waz her own daughter, you know. She offered 'er a teaching job at Beauxbaton, reasoning zhat my daughter may need somezhing to take 'er mind off 'er dead husband. My daughter reluctantly agreed. Much to our relief, 'er conditions improved after she became a teacher at zhe magical school. It waz not much but we took whatever it iz we could get. Strangely enough, 'er conditions improve tremendously after zhe World War II celebration in Paris. We did not meet but Fleur told us she met you zhere."
Harry nodded. "Yes, I was there. I met your daughter."
He silently wondered if Fleur told her father about their little escapade that night during the celebration. It would be a bad idea for a French Minister to find out that the Head of Security went missing from a place he supposedly guarded.
"I know. I saw zhe roster. I guess zhat settles it," said Monsieur Delacour.
Harry's eyebrows creased. "I don't understand."
Monsieur then took the seat in front of Harry. "'Arry, Appoline, and I are not getting any younger. Before we go, we need to know zhat our daughters would be well taken care of. We don't need a rich man. What we need iz a good man whom we can trust and whom our daughters trust. We need a man who could take care of zhe Delacour's heiresses az good az we 'ave."
Harry began to understand Monsieur Delacour's point. "Then I am the wrong person for that," he said.
Monsieur Delacour cocked his eyebrows. "And why is zhat I might ask?"
"Sir, I broke up with a former lover because she could not accept the fact that someday I would become an Auror. Bill was her brother and she reasoned that with me becoming an Auror, I would inevitably meet the same fate as him. In a way, she was right. I will only end up hurting her so I let her go. If what happened to Bill affected Fleur that much, you don't want me to be your son-in-law," said Harry firmly.
"So I take it zhat if you did not become an Auror, you will live forever?" asked Monsieur Delacour.
"Untimely death of loved ones affected her. I might end up the same. I take my job seriously, Monsieur Delacour. Anyone who isn't me will have a better chance of survival than I am," said Harry. "Because of that, it is important that I don't have excess baggage if you know what I mean."
"And you zhink zhat I did not zhink matters through?"
"Seems to be that way. I'm sorry but I have to be blunt in this matter, especially when it concerns someone I care for," Harry retorted.
"Zhere iz always risk in everyzhing," said Monsieur Delacour as he took the glass on the table and drank its remaining content. "I zhink you are giving me and my daughter far less credit zhan we deserve. Fleur won't bring you here if she zhought less of you."
"So is this about me marrying Fleur? Is this what the dinner is all about?" asked Harry.
Monsieur Delacour shook his head. "No. She invited you az a friend. You come here az a friend. And nozhing more," said Monsieur Delacour. "Only az a friend. But I'm a man, 'Arry. Just like you. And I can read a man from zhe way he looks at a woman. You, Mister 'Arry Potter, love my daughter. Your feelings for her iz not just between friends. Zhere iz more to it. I can see it in your eyes."
Silence.
Harry stared at Fleur's father. Apparently, he did give Monsieur Delacour far less credit than the old man deserved. He had no idea how long Monsieur Delacour was watching him. That man clearly read him.
Monsieur Delacour smiled triumphantly upon seeing Harry's silence. "Your stunned silence proved me right. I am not angry. I zhink you can already establish zhat. I understand zhat zhe feeling you 'ave might be somezhing beyond your control. Even after thousands of years of evolution, love iz still somezhing zhat 'uman being can't predict. To be honest with you, I feel we are lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yes. Lucky. Many wanted my daughter before she got married. Their interest in 'er revived after zhey 'eard zhat she waz widowed. You won't believe some of zhe zhings zhey did to prove zheir worthiness. But you are different, Monsieur Potter. You never tried to prove anyzhing. You're just being who you are, a really good friend to 'er. Knowing zhat you were zhe one chosen to fall in love with my daughter makes it all better. I know somezhing happened at zhat celebration and zhat somehow you're zhe one involved. Zhankfully, it only brought good zhings to us," said Monsieur Delacour. "Unlike most men, you did not take advantage of my daughter. I zhank you for zhat. She was still vulnerable at zhat time."
"She certainly did not look like it," said Harry. "She had always been the Fleur I have always known."
"Trust me 'Arry, she was vulnerable," said Monsieur Delacour. "We waited for her. We became worried when she failed to show up az she promised. Appoline wanted to seek zhe security's help. I told 'er to wait. Fleur returned to us quite a bit later. When she came back, she told us zhat she waz with you. We knew she wasn't lying because you came in after 'er from zhe balcony. My daughter looked very 'appy zhat night and she continues being 'appy until today. So, my question iz, what are you going to do about it?"
Harry didn't respond at first. He pondered over what Monsieur Delacour said. He also pondered over his tale with Ginny and everything that came after it. His mind was racing as he weighed on the decision. After a few minutes of silence, he finally came to a resolution.
"Nothing. I am going to do nothing," he said.
"Are you sure?"
"Dead sure. I still think that you didn't think this through," Harry said. "Yes, I like her more than a friend but I'm not sure if she feels the same way about me. Besides, I'm younger than her. She probably sees me as nothing more than a younger brother. I am not going to admit my feelings to her. I've seen it. A lot of friendships are destroyed just because someone wants to take it to another level. I prefer it to be this way. Both of us could continue being best of friends forever. There will be no ties and when there are no ties, there will be no heartbreak."
Monsieur Delacour looked hard at Harry. Then he said, "I am disappointed."
"I am sorry but I refuse to hurt your daughter and I am not going to let you and your wife go through the misery all over again. Once is enough," said Harry firmly. "There are many good men in this world, sir. It's just a matter of who and when."
Monsieur Delacour nodded after a brief while. "Commendable. I shall respect your decision, Monsieur Potter. Might I make another request?"
"Of course, sir," said Harry, hoping that this time the request didn't have anything to do with Fleur.
"None of zhe women in zhis house knows what we were talking about," said Monsieur Delacour calmly. "Zhis is just between you and me and I 'ope it would stay zhat way. I want you to continue being 'er friend. I 'ope zhat you won't leave 'er for whatever reason, even after she married to someone else if zhat ever 'appen. Keep talking to 'er. Be zhere for 'er all zhe time. I also 'ope zhat you will continue looking after my daughters should anyzhing 'appen to me and Appoline."
Harry found the request was a bit unusual, particularly the last part but nevertheless, he nodded. "I will. You have my word."
"Zhank you," nodded Monsieur Delacour satisfactorily. "Now let us go and see what zhe girls are up to."
Harry followed Monsieur Delacour to the door but before they exited the room, Monsieur Delacour turned to Harry and said, "Zhe saddest zhing zhat came out of our conversation iz zhat I now realized you are zhe best candidate for my daughter. If only you said yes."
Monsieur Delacour then left, leaving Harry looking stricken.
Later that night...
Monsieur Delacour told Harry to stay for the night. A guest room had been made available for him.
Harry declined at first. He told the Delacour's patriarch that he did not bring extra clothing and he never planned to stay. Monsieur Delacour told him that all his belongings had been brought to the guest room by the house-elves. He could return the hotel keys the next day before he returned to England.
Both of them walked towards the kitchen. Their conversation continued but they touched none of the things they talked about earlier. Monsieur Delacour gestured for Harry to wait outside the kitchen once they arrived. He walked into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone at the entrance.
Harry stood and watched as Monsieur Delacour hugged and kissed his wife. She and her daughters, still in their beautiful dresses, were washing the dishes and doing chores, much to the house-elves dismay.
It was at this point that Harry realized why Fleur never complained about having to do all the chores during her time at the Shell Cottage. She was trained to do all those despite her family owning many house-elves. That also explained why she got bored during her time at the Burrow. There was virtually nothing she could do other than attend to Bill. Mrs. Weasley pretty much conquered all the housework.
He watched silently as the family bonded, joked, conversed, and teased each other. He of course understood very little of it because they were speaking in French. But still, it was good to know that they were happy.
In public, Fleur had always shown herself to be tactless, coarse, and snobbish. But within the confines of the chateau, she was a completely different person. Gone had her public persona. He knew that she was brave and full of determination but these were the new side of her that he had never seen before. Silently, he felt lucky. Lucky that he was able to witness what Bill probably witnessed before, the softness, the tenderness, and the loving side of one Fleur Delacour. He figured that this must be what Bill saw when he and Fleur were away from everyone else. All of that made Harry fall in love with Fleur even more.
Fleur noticed Harry was watching them from the kitchen threshold. She gave him a wide smile which he returned.
Little that she realize the turmoil that was raging deep within him.
And little that Harry realize that Monsieur Delacour had his own reason on why he left Harry to watch. He was showing Harry what he would miss if he continued to say no.
A few months later
In the meantime, the situation between him and Fleur got better and better.
They both took the path of the muggle and got each other a smartphone. Sometimes, some of the things the non-magical people had were much better than the wizards. No longer did they have to wait for each other's reply. Sending out messages and receiving them became instantaneous. His experience living with the Dursley meant that he had no problem embracing the muggle's way of life. His home had electricity. He had a television, a microwave oven, a fridge, and stuff. Of course, like any other wizard's dwelling, wards and enchantments had been put in place around his home but they were minimal. Those were just enough to provide some level of protection to his home. His phone didn't go haywire the first time he brought it into his house as it would normally be. Nowadays, it was normal to see him and Fleur talk and text late into the night. But as before, they talked nothing romantic and Harry did not even hint at her about his true feelings.
In early August the same year, Harry once again found himself in Grenoble. It was the middle of the school summer holiday in France. It had been many months since the last time Fleur visited Britain. As a matter of fact, the last time she visited Hogwarts was in November the year before and the last time he saw her was when he visited her home months before. Harry was beginning to miss her so he asked if he could come to visit her in France. Fleur of course gave him the green light.
He and Fleur were walking along the jogging path in a park located at the bank of River Isere. It was a bright and sunny afternoon. Harry was wearing a grey T-shirt and blue jeans. Fleur meanwhile wore a light-colored sleeveless dress with the skirt reaching just below her knees. A cream-colored scarf covered the bottom half of her face. Nevertheless, despite her efforts, she still attracted a lot of attention from men within the park. One saving grace was that nobody tried to approach her. The credit of course belongs to the man who was walking beside her.
For the past few months, Harry had given a lot of thought about what Monsieur Delacour said to him that night inside the Delacour's study room. He and Monsieur Delacour still corresponded with one another but the subject they talked about within the study room never resurfaced. Although the man never mentioned it again, Harry knew he still held Monsieur Delacour's blessing. His previous visit to Delacour Chateau left a deep impression on him. Lately, he was beginning to feel the urge of wanting to have a family of his own. Nearly all of his friends were married or were planning to.
Of course, to do that he would need to find a suitable partner. He already found her in the form of Fleur Delacour.
The question now would be whether Fleur would be willing to spend the rest of her life with him. Of course, for her to do that, she would need to love him first. He had no idea if Bill still held his sway over Fleur. Even if Fleur already put Bill to rest, that would not mean that he had a chance. Fleur came as someone who wasn't easily impressed and the fact that they never talk about anything romantic made judging her feeling even more difficult.
He weighed his options and decided that he would do it. He would have to take the risk. He wasn't in a hurry but he certainly didn't want to waste his time either. He needed to know where his friendship with Fleur leads. If Fleur rejected him, at least he knew.
If they were destined to be only friends, then so be it. Like Ginny, he would move on. He would then hope, and pray that someday he would meet someone willing to spend her life with him.
On an old, stone arc bridge that crossed the River Isere, they stopped. Leaning on the stone railing, they watched a flock of geese swimming in the river.
"Fleur, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can, 'Arry," came the reply.
"Have you ever thought of starting all over again?"
There was a pause.
Harry glanced sideways towards Fleur. He saw the girl gazing far away in deep thought.
"Zhere iz zhe thought of it," she said moments later.
"So what's keeping you?"
"Meeting zhe right one, I guess."
"I see. You know, I think what you are waiting for is Prince Charming," joked Harry.
Fleur laughed. "Prince Charming? Oh, pleeze. I'm not a teenage girl, 'Arry. I don't delve into fantasies concocted by young girls two days past puberty. "
"Really? I thought all girls do that," said Harry.
Fleur glared at Harry. "And young men don't? Boys and their hormones. You won't believe what I 'ad to go through during zhe first few years in Beauxbaton," she said, shaking her beautiful head.
"I figure that would make a fascinating topic of discussion. I'd like to know more," said Harry.
Fleur smiled. "It iz but maybe some ozher time. Now, what about you? 'Ave you found anyone you want to spend zhe rest of your life with?"
Harry hesitated at first. "There is actually a certain someone."
Fleur raised her eyebrows. "Really? Now zhis iz exciting! Mind telling me who zhe lucky girl iz? I promise I won't tell anyone!"
It was at this point that his courage faltered. He began to wonder if he should continue. He wondered if he could face the consequences.
"Tell me! Please," Fleur begged him.
"Maybe I shouldn't," said Harry, once again hesitating.
Fleur pouted her lips. "But, why not?" she asked. "You're not going to leave me wondering, are you 'Arry Potter?"
Harry sighed. He knew he had to face whatever truth that came out of it. It would be now or it would be never.
"You."
To be continued...
A/n: So another day, another chapter.
I dearly wanted to post this chapter before New Year but you know, holidays, vacations, and stuff. Anyway, I would like to wish a belated Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it and a belated Happy New Year to all of you. Let us hope and pray that 2022 will be a better year despite the Omicron and stuff. Stay healthy and stay safe, everyone. That's all I'm asking.
I'll see you guys in chapter 7.