The two walked in comfortable silence through the garden, and neither felt much need to talk. A date in Hogsmeade with Fleur Delacour would make him the envy of all the school. He had been very excited to go with her. However, now that he was there, he bloody well did not know what to do with her.

When he came with Ron and Hermione, he never felt so… bored. Ron always wanted to go to Zonkos or Honeydukes, Hermione just had to visit Tomes and Scrolls, while Harry loved Spintwiches. They would make their rounds and after a butterbeer or two, they would head back to the castle.

It all sounded so stupid with Fleur. She was a Seventh Year, she was mature, she was a woman. He found it hard to believe she would enjoy looking at the toys in Zonkos or the lollipops in Honeydukes. An old bookshop might be something more interesting but how long could they stay there?

He looked over at her and once again admired how she looked. She was dressed even warmer this time with a large deep blue overcoat buttoned tightly against her. He could not see under the coat but he was sure there were another two layers or so. The coat went all the way down to her leather boots and up to her neck. It was a simple outfit as far as he could see and he loved it on her. She had let her hair down this time and he had to wonder why she did not wear it like that more often. Fleur looked great in hats but there was just something magical about her long pale hair.

"'Arry, are you ready to leave this place?" Fleur asked

"There are a lot of cool shops in Hogsmeade, do you want to see them?" Harry replied, trying to look casual in the hopes he had not been caught staring at her.

Fleur held out her hand and looked at him, waiting. "No there will always be time for that, Hogsmeade iz a calm place." She spoke as he took her hand.

A moment later, he suddenly felt his gut being pulled and stretched every which way. When the feeling passed, his head raced and he fought the urge to throw up.

He clenched his eyes so hard that every sense was blocked out. It was only the sound of Fleur's soft giggle that brought him out of his condition. He opened his eyes and the world spun. Someone who he assumed was Fleur reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder to help him right himself.

"First time?" She asked him after a few moments.

"First time for what?" He returned before only just then realizing their surroundings. They stood in a small back alley between two buildings beside a bustling street. Harry looked closer at the buildings and the streets and his eyes widened. "Dragon Alley?" He said aloud.

"We apparated. You apparated. We are in Diagon Alley. Is that even allowed?" Harry spoke one word after the other in quick succession as he wrapped his head around what had happened.

All Fleur gave was a light shrug. She grabbed a light blue hat from her bag and handed it to Harry. He recognized it quickly as the hat he had seen all the Beauxbatons girls wear at their introductory feast. He looked back at Fleur questioningly as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at her hair. After a whispered spell, her soft pale blonde locks hovered before wrapping themselves together into braids and finally a bun. Once she was done, she looked back at Harry expectantly.

"It looks… nice." He said, not having been ready to compliment her.

Fleur snorted before grabbing the hat from his hands and putting it on. She positioned it for a moment before finally speaking. "Well, how does eet look? Iz my hair covered?"

She turned her head for him briefly and Harry could not help but admire the back of her thin, pale neck. "All of it except some in the back." He told her. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Should be fine."

It was only then that he realized how often he saw her wearing some hat or head covering. In fact, he had seen her more often with one than without. Way more often.

Fleur turned to the street again before hesitating. She looked back at Harry before speaking low. "You too."

She dug around in her bag once more before removing a much larger black wizard's hat. It looked roughspun and older than the century. She held out her hand for a whole five seconds before he realized her intent. "I cannot wear that." He stated simply. It looked remarkably similar to the Hogwarts sorting hat, perhaps a distant cousin many times removed.

Fleur smiled evilly. "Unless you want Rita Skeeter and ze Daily Prophet asking what you and I were doing together in Diagon Alley during term, you should do az I say and cover up that big 'ead of yours. Your scar too. Besides, I only have ze two hats and you cannot expect me to wear zat thing, can you?" She asked, more demure than evil now.

Harry did not have to imagine very hard to come up with the titles of future articles that Skeeter would decide on. Half of them had the word "delinquent" in them and the other half had "lonely playboy." Begrudgingly, he reached out and grabbed the large hat. The only plus was being able to commit the smirk she sent him then to memory.

"Why do you even have this thing if you refuse to wear it?" Harry asked as they made their way to the Alley proper. Truth be told, even if she would wear it instead, he was not sure her other hat would look much better on him. After seeing it on her, he knew that the light blue was just not his colour…

"In case of emergency, now quit complaining. Look around, 'Arry. Have you ever been to Diagon Alley during ze school year? Have you ever even left ze confines of Hogwarts or Hogsmeade? Do you not feel a bit of a thrill?" She asked with a large smile.

He did feel excited. Apparition was an amazing spell to be able to take one from Hogwarts to London. It was only a shame he could not learn it for years… perhaps he could convince Fleur to teach it to him.

"I get the sense that Beauxbatons struggles to hold you down for long," Harry observed.

Fleur nodded. "Yes, even before I could apparate I explored all over and found ways in and out. Once I learned to apparate the entirety of France became a day trip to me. I waz surprised by Hogwarts. In Beauxbatons, you can disapparate from almost anywhere. There are a few places you can apparate into az well. But Hogwarts iz ironclad with its wards. Az of yet, I 'ave not been able to find anywhere to disapparate from or apparate into."

"Probably to prevent uncontrollable students like you from escaping the dungeons. That is where Snape or Filch would have sent you the very first time they caught you, had you gone to Hogwarts. I am sure the entire school would have heard your shouts as they hung you from your toes." Harry mused thinking back to what Filch once told him.

Fleur snorted but by then they were out of the side alley and in the street. Harry had never been to Diagon Alley during term and was a bit surprised by what he saw. For one thing, it was quieter, but it was hardly any less busy. Wizards and witches of all sorts walked up and down the street and the only people his age he saw were either too young for Hogwarts or working their first jobs.

They came out next to a small bookstore called Diagon's Used Books and an art gallery. The art gallery took Harry's attention first and he marvelled at all the portraits he saw through the window, some moving, some still. He even saw a young man posing for an artist in the back.

He turned back to Fleur then and found her staring at the bookstore with slightly wide eyes. "Do you want to go inside?" He asked.

His question shook her focus and she slowly shook her head. "No, well yes, but not now. Save it for last."

She looked at him then expectantly before her eyes shifted past him, as if to say "Let's go." Harry smiled and nodded before looking around. He was pretty sure they were on a small side street of Diagon Alley, not very far from what one would consider the "main street" of Diagon Alley. He led them in the direction he faintly remembered as being correct.

He watched her out of the corner of his eyes and was surprised to find her staring at each shop in interest. "Have you ever been to Diagon Alley?" He asked.

Fleur looked at him and nodded. "Once a couple of years ago. I loved it. In France, we have our version of Diagon Alley, of course. Here each building and store feels like it has its personality and history. Some of these stores can be traced back centuries. We have history, much more ancient than Britain as well." She said shooting Harry a smirk. "But Diagon Alley 'az not been invaded nearly az many times…"

Harry looked around at Diagon Alley in a new light. He had always known it was special of course, but to hear the same from Fleur warmed his heart. It also made him wonder what a French version of Diagon Alley would look like.

The two fell back into silence for some time as they enjoyed the outside air and sights. "Let's go in here" Fleur eventually said. Harry turned to look and found her staring at a shop called: Charms & Enchants. He had seen the store before but had never gone in so he was also curious.

A table was set up right next to the entranceway where a knife was showing off its chopping skills. Harry watched with Fleur and another customer as the seemingly ordinary knife cut through a cast iron skillet in one smooth motion before being stopped by a wood cutting board. Harry noticed that both the knife and the cutting board were being sold on either side of the display.

He turned away with Fleur eventually but in the back of his mind wondered if Mrs. Weasley would like a Christmas gift like that.

They moved past the entranceway and the more gimmicky items like the comb that would never catch in your hair or the shoes that could tie and untie themselves.

Fleur's eyes widened slightly as she saw an item and hurried over. Harry followed after her before his eyes narrowed his confusion. "An onion?" He asked, confused.

Fleur let out a light laugh before shaking her head and reaching forward and knocking on the onion, a hard echoing sound sounding out. "Not just any onion, 'Arry, a errr… Crystal Onion. They can only be grown in a cave system five thousand meters below the surface. Even then it needs the drip from a quartz stalactite every hour or so. Once all that is done one must wait a century for the onion to mature… They were very rare in ancient times, prized treasures even. But nowadays you can usually find a couple at every small enchanting shop. That is not to say they are cheap." Fleur finished, looking hungrily at the onion.

Harry looked down at the price tag and his eyes widened. "What do you do with it? Make French Crystal Onion Soup?"

Fleur snorted and glared at him. "Only if you wanted to die and for your coffin to contain a perfect statue of you made from quartz. No, it's used to add certain strength and toughness properties to enchanted items. A skilled enchanter could probably enchant a hundred items with just one Crystal Onion so the price is not too bad. I mean-" Fleur was saying before something else caught her eyes and she rushed over.

Harry was deeply surprised by what he was seeing. She was focused on this new item she had found. He had never seen her like this. Harry realized that charms and enchanting must be a passion of hers. Before being distracted, Harry began to see all the similar signs that Hermione would show before going into a long-winded explanation of some book or topic. Harry made a note to himself to remember that Fleur was deeply interested in this as he followed after her.

This time the object she was staring at also slightly interested Harry. It was a long strand of blonde hair. It would look completely ordinary if not for the fact that at one end, a small fire was consuming the hair. The fire raced across the strand and seemed like it would only be a matter of seconds before the entire hair was used up. However, the other end of the hair visibly elongated with every second at a rate equal to the fire. Harry watched the strand of hair move around the small case it was contained in ricocheting off the walls and changing directions. Neither side could win and the hair remained at a constant length of ten inches.

"How could any Wizard possibly grow this?" Harry asked after a moment.

Fleur frowned slightly at his question. "They cannot." She said slowly before continuing. "This iz a hair from Prometheus. I do not even know what eet iz doing here, eets a nearly extinct ingredient with whatever supply that remains in the world being kept hidden as treasures in vaults or as prized ingredients for master enchanters and alchemists. It is unusually long as well, very rarely will one go on public sale that is longer than ten centimetres or so. It is unbelievable to find one like this here." Fleur's eyes were wide and her face flushed. Harry looked back at the hair quickly and tried to figure out why it was so valuable.

Fleur bit her lip and looked down at the price. Harry looked down as well and his eyes widened even more than last time. For the same price, you could buy twenty Crystal Onions. You could buy the Dursley's house four times with a significant portion still left over.

"Does it make you fly for Merlin's sake?" Harry let out.

Fleur barely reacted, instead looking as if she were in deep thought. "No, not that. But if used correctly you could enchant armor or robes to have regenerative capabilities. Imagine your opponent hits you with a spell that shreds your robes and breaks whatever defensive wards and charms you had along with them. However, as your opponent tries to finish you off, the robes start to mend back together as do the warding schemes and charms. After that, you could take another hit and still come out smiling. Back when Prometheus waz still alive and 'is hair in greater supply, daring wizards would even attempt to enchant their bodies with it. Nowadays nobody is quite so daring or wasteful az to use it on their own body or even their robes. Its use is most common in some strong potions and medical treatments. It has been known to be able to stave off some deadly and corrosive diseases like Alchemist's Skin and the Cave Cough. In some cases, cure it." Fleur finished in a quiet, thoughtful tone.

Harry could feel his heart racing now as he looked back down at the hair. He imagined how easy it would be to win the tournament if he had robes that protected him and if ever overwhelmed by an opponent, would mend themselves. Even Voldemort might not have defensive robes as great as his.

But looking at the price, his heart broke. It was not that he did not have enough money for it, just that it was such an astronomically large purchase for a fourteen-year-old to make based on a couple of explanations from another teenager. If all was true about the strand of hair, he would still need to find an enchanter and not just any enchanter but someone with top-level skill. He had no idea how enchanting worked and would have no idea if he got a good price if the enchanter embezzled some of the materials. His heart ached but he knew the strand of hair was not for him.

Fleur, however, looked to be strongly considering it. This surprised Harry who had two dead parents and a trust fund. Could Fleur somehow afford it? Was she confident in being able to put it to good use?

A full minute went by before she spoke again and when she did speak it was in a slow, careful manner. "I do not have enough to buy it." She cast a suspicious glance at everyone else in the store before moving her body to cover the strand of hair protectively.

"I can get the money but a treasure like this will go quickly. I can't risk it. If you make up the difference I will pay you back plus another quarter." She finished, sizing him up like he was a business partner.

Harry glanced down at the hair before looking back up at Fleur. "Why not quickly go get a loan from Gringotts? I will stay here and guard the hair." He offered in return.

Fleur frowned and shook her head. "No, should anyone else realize what this is they will not take no for an answer. Not even from you, 'Arry Potter and once the store owner realizes, he will take eet back. It iz now or never I think."

Harry frowned then, not like being pushed into a corner. He looked back at the hair one more time. He could tell it was a treasure, the store owner might have undervalued it. However, he was still leaning toward telling her no. If she was wrong and had no other ability to pay him back then he would be out of a decent portion of his trust fund. Not to mention any friendship would be destroyed between the two.

He opened his mouth to tell her but she beat him to it. "Please, 'Arry, just trust me." She pleaded with him. Harry's heartbeat deeply as he looked into her eyes. There was hope and an obvious bit of flirting there, that was expected. But there was also something else, desperation maybe?

Harry forced himself to look away. "Okay, Fleur, but you do not have to give me the additional quarter. Just whatever I'm putting up." He told her.

Fleur's eyes widened slightly and she grinned at him. "Okay, 'Arry." Without wasting any more time, she grabbed the small case and smoothly tucked it into her body to hide it from onlookers as she walked to the back of the shop where a young man was hurrying around packing boxes.

The man did not notice them and Fleur had to clear her throat for him to finally turn. The man even shouted at a kid to keep his hands to himself before looking away. Harry was a bit irritated by how long they were being made to wait until Fleur finally coughed and the man turned their way. His eyes widened as he stared at them before falling to the case in Fleur's hands where they widened even more. A suspicious glint soon appeared and Harry's stomach clenched. He wondered how much money it would take before Dumbledore or Sirius asked him about it.

"Just this," Fleur said.

The man looked between the two of them for a moment, not moving. "I expected the hair to be one of the last things to go, truth be told. I half wanted to keep it for myself, that is why I set the price so high. Where did a couple of kids get the money?" He asked. Harry was surprised that the man was Australian. What was he doing running a store in Britain?

"Kid?" Fleur scoffed, adjusting her hat so that an inch of her hair loosely fell out. "I am twenty years old and I need this to finish my apprenticeship. If I had not wasted so many resources, I would not even be here."

The man's eyes dulled slightly and a thin smile formed on his face. "Great! We always need more good enchanters. My old man was an enchanter too, he ran this place before kicking the bucket. As a fellow enthusiast of the craft, I hope you understand that I can not just let his treasure go cheaply…"

Fleur frowned then and looked back at Harry. Harry sighed inwardly, he had heard dates were expensive but could never have imagined them to cost as much as a couple of houses. He nodded stiffly. Fleur flashed him a quick smile before his frown returned and she glared back at the man. "A fellow enchanter would not bully one still learning the art…" she tried.

The young man laughed and shook his head. "Yes, one might not. But I am no enchanter, just never had the "touch" my father used to say. But my younger brother did…" the man frowned again. "But look what happened, he got himself killed for You Know Who and I got the shop!"

Harry's frown intensified then and the man eye's flicked to him. "Who's the mute?" He asked.

"Does it matter? Is this a business or a social club?"

The man frowned then as well. "It matters if he's putting up some of the money."

"He is my boyfriend's brother. I am to take him in as my apprentice in a couple of years. But first I need to become one myself, so… will you sell this to me or not?" Fleur demanded.

The man rolled his head back and forth for a moment before nodding. Finally, he spit out a price that was about ten percent higher than the marked price.

Fleur snorted and turned to walk away.

"My father's notes told me not to let this one go easily. I do not know its exact value but do not try to cheat me just because I'm not one of you. Look, lady, I have a job and family back home that I have to get back to. Can you make it easy for the both of us or not?" The young man told Fleur seriously.

Fleur stopped in place and slowly looked back at the young man. "Add in that Crystal Onion for my future apprentice and you will have a deal."

The young man glanced at the onion and thought for a moment. Eventually, he held out his wand and the onion flew toward him. "Here you go, kid. Tell your brother he is one lucky guy." He told Harry with an odd smirk.

Harry could only nod as he held the unusually heavy and hard onion. The man looked back at Fleur and demanded another two percent or so. Fleur hesitated for a few seconds and Harry noticed an older man coming toward them from further up in the store.

"Deal." She said, quickly she paid what she could and Harry made up the difference.

Harry could not help but watch Fleur with adoration as he followed her back through the store. He could tell that there were some items still for sale that caught her attention but she did not stop to inspect them this time. Of course, he understood why, just moments prior they had been in intense negotiation. Now they were hurrying out of the store like a toddler who had stolen a cookie from the cookie jar. While the young store owner had gotten a bit more out of them, from the look of the bright smile Fleur had briefly sent him as they left, they had won big. Harry glanced back toward the young man running the store who flashed him a toothy smile and a thumbs up before helping another customer.

Harry finally looked away from Fleur and down at the Crystal Onion in his hands. Now that he actually held it in hand, he could tell it was something special. It was faint but he could feel a sort of magical pulsing originating from the core of the onion. The fact that as long as he got paid back by Fleur, he would have gotten it for free certainly made things even better for him. Although he was not exactly sure what to do with it as he awkwardly tried to push it into the pocket of his trousers. Sometimes, robes were the better option…

Once they pushed their way back onto the street, Fleur turned back to look at him and snorted. "Boys." She Said before holding out her hand to him. Harry hesitantly placed the onion on her palm and watched her study it closer for a moment. Eventually, she pulled away and looked even happier. Her hands along with the onion disappeared for a moment before reappearing, the onion gone. He noticed then that the case with the hair was also gone.

His brows furrowed in surprise at her action but she did not even hesitate before walking away from the store. "The Crystal Onion iz of great quality and was a good deal as well. We lucked out, 'Arry." Fleur told him with a laugh.

It was impossible for her excitement to not also rub off on him. A smile just as large as hers quickly formed on his face as he joined in her laughter. "Your acting was so good, Fleur. I almost believed you did not care about the hair. The fact that you got him to throw in the onion too is incredible!"

Fleur relished in his praise and her cheeks even seemed to redden. "Ah, well, sometimes being friends with an "uncontrollable" like me az its uses! Especially one as smart and beautiful as me!" Fleur declared emphatically, reusing the word he had called her earlier.

Harry's chest tightened at her words and he suddenly found his tongue unable to work properly.

Fleur either did not notice or did not care at that moment. "I assume you do not care much for charms and enchantment? I will buy ze Crystal Onion from you if that iz the case." She said, suddenly looking at him seriously.

"No! That's okay. I'll keep it." He had seen how worked up Fleur got over Charms and Enchanting. Surely a boring or useless subject would be of little interest to someone like her. Though it was very expensive and he had no clue what to do with it yet and while he was sure she could make better use of it, he could not just sell it to her. After all, wasn't it the first gift Fleur Delacour had given him? And if he learned enough about the field of Enchantments was that not one more thing he and Fleur could talk about? Something they would have in common? The onion could help him on his way, he was sure of it.

Fleur looked at him curiously for a moment before shrugging. "Do you want some ice cream?" She eventually asked.

Harry followed her eyes and found her staring at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. His immediate reaction was to agree but then he remembered something. He turned to look at Fleur with narrowed eyes. "Didn't you just spend all your money?"

Fleur looked back at him with large innocent blue eyes. "Yes?"

"So, won't I be buying for the both of us? I should be asking you if you want ice cream, not the other way around."

Fleur rolled her eyes before grabbing his wrist and pulling him toward the ice cream store. "Oh, 'Arry, you must stop thinking in black and white. Do you want ice cream? Do I want ice cream? Who's to say? Let's just get some to make sure!"

With her thin pale hand wrapped around his wrist, he could find no fault in her argument and allowed himself to be dragged into the store.

Harry greeted the ice cream server as he walked in and it took a long second for the man to recognize him "Harry!" He shouted happily. In the end, Harry did not even have to pay for his own ice cream as when Florean saw Fleur with him, he gave Harry a simple wink before pushing him out the door saying nothing at all about the matter.

Not that Fleur knew about the matter and nor would he tell her.

It was too cold to sit outside and considering how they had been forced from the store, they walked for a bit, neither touching their ice creams. Eventually, they found an enchanted outside fireplace that sat in between a home renovation business as well as an interior decorator. The fireplace emanated a strong warmth that seemed entirely localized to within a few feet of the fireplace rather than dispersing outward into nothingness.

They ate their ice cream in content silence until the level of Harry's ice cream was equal to the cone. "So what will you do with the hair?" He asked.

Fleur briefly stiffened at the question and her tongue froze on the ice cream. It was less than a second before she returned to normal, however. "I will sell eet. I will take eet to auction." She said happily.

Harry's brows scrunched together slightly and a small part of him did not believe her. "Auction? I thought you were also an enchanter, you do not want to try and use it?"

Fleur giggled lightly. "Of course I do, but I told you already, 'Arry, only master enchanters would dare try and use it. Among that already small group, few would go through with it and none would use such a large strand. It is probably even outlawed in my country for an amateur to waste such an item."

Harry felt a little disheartened at her answers. He had expected her to sell a portion of it to make back their money but didn't she want to at least experiment with it a bit before selling? If it was not going to help with her further education he suddenly felt a lot less great about what they had done to the shop owner. What would the owner think if he saw the same hair he had sold go up in auction and sell for multiple times as much? Fleur was French and eventually, she would go back home. But England was his home and Diagon Alley was his community… Was this what she meant when she had said he barely knew her?

Harry was no longer sure what to say. Before, conversation had begun to flow freely between them and the nervousness he had once felt was gone. But now, while the nervousness was still gone, he felt like he just had nothing to say rather than not knowing what to say. Eventually, an idea worked its way into his mind and he became more and more sure it was the right thing to do, though he bristled at having to do it.

"Fleur, I changed my mind. You can buy the onion from me." He began, watching her reaction. "After you auction the hair, you take my initial quarter as well as the price of the onion and give it to that shop owner." He told her. At first, she seemed surprised and the ice cream cone stopped just near her mouth before she slowly pulled it away. He felt like he even noticed a bit of hurt on her face but if there was, she hid it quickly.

She did not speak for a long time and eventually, the unfinished ice cream cone vanished from her hand entirely. A look of consternation appeared on her face before morphing into a frown as she looked down at her lap. "'Arry, you trusted me in ze store, do you still trust me?" She finally asked, not meeting his eyes.

Harry gaped briefly and wanted to tell her that he no longer did but found he could not. "I do." He admitted, he desperately wanted there to be more to the story.

Harry watched Fleur wring her hands together in her lap for another moment before looking back up at him. "My family could never afford a strand of Prometheus' Hair of that quality at auction price. Few could. I lied when I said I would sell the hair. Of course, I will still pay you back. But let me pay you the money, not the shop owner. I promise little good will come of it."

Harry thought about her words for a moment and understood some of the truth to them. Depending on how much the hair was worth, his money might just be a slap in the face. But still, he could not understand why she would lie about what she would do with the strand of hair.

"You can't tell me or you won't tell me about what you will do with the strand of hair?" Harry pressed once more.

Fleur hesitated before her eyes drifted up to his forehead. He instantly felt his scar tingle like someone was holding a pen just in front of it. Only when she looked back down at his eyes did he pull his hat back down. "You can't tell me or you won't tell me about your scar, about the night you got eet, about your life after eet?" She asked softly.

Harry nodded slightly and leaned back. Although he did not think himself in the wrong, he knew he also was not in the right. "I am sorry, Fleur." He apologized after a moment.

She shook her head, her hair becoming more and more loose with each shake. By that point, a couple of inches were hanging out of her hat. Without even thinking, Harry reached forward and tucked some behind her ear. Her hair was softer than he imagined it would be but there was some other property to it as well. It was only after he pulled his hand back that he realized what he had just done. Fleur stared at him with wide eyes and red cheeks and he suddenly wondered if she was as experienced as she led him to believe.

click*

Harry's stomach dropped. This time his conscious and unconscious thoughts were in sync and he reached out and grabbed Fleur's hand before pulling her up from the fireplace. He had to practically pull her behind him for a few moments. But when Fleur heard Rita Skeeter mention how much her readers loved young love that was all it took to get her feet moving. Pretty soon they were running right beside each other, hand in hand.

Harry led them expertly through Diagon Alley and even a side alley or two. He was confident in having lost Rita Skeeter and so he slowed down. It was then he noticed everyone in the street staring at them with wide eyes. He was not completely inexperienced in being placed under such attention. He was surprised they had recognized him so quickly, however. When he turned back to Fleur, he was rendered just as wide-eyed as everyone else. Fleur was holding back a fit of laughter and when he looked at her with wide eyes, she broke.

Harry watched with amusement for a moment as Fleur's hair swung all over the place as she laughed deeply. It did not take long for Harry to join in the laughter. Some of the wide-eyed strangers eventually recovered and walked past them with small smiles or soft giggles of their own. Though later when they all went home and thought about it, they could not quite remember just what was so funny.

At some point during their fit of laughter, Harry subtly let go of Fleur's soft hand and continued to laugh like nothing had happened. "The hats were supposed to keep us out of the Prophet but now not only will we be in the Prophet but we will be in it wearing them!" Fleur told him before breaking out into another fit.

"You're one to talk, at least you and your hat look good, Fleur. My hat was already out of fashion when Dumbledore took his first steps in Hogwarts! Ron will cut the photo out to torment me for ages. I probably look like a spooked ghost at the end of the photo."

Fleur snorted suddenly. "I hardly think Ron and ze rest of the school will be focused on what hat you were wearing, 'Arry. Can't keep our hands to ourselves, can we? If you wanted to touch my hair so bad all you had to do was ask. And what was with grabbing my hand? Who said you could do that!" She demanded before breaking out into another fit of laughter.

Harry blushed but it did not stop him from laughing. "You hardly looked cool and collected when I did it! Here you had me fooled that you were some sort of mature and experienced woman. I would not be surprised if that were the first time a guy has ever held your hand let alone touched your hair. No wonder you're focusing on it so much!"

By then both of them had calmed down significantly but neither would look at the other. Fleur crossed her arms and frowned off to the side while Harry was left a bit stunned and lost in his own thoughts. Still, as they walked, their shoulders would bump into each other occasionally but neither said anything about it or attempted to move out of the way.

Harry had already led them rather close to their starting point of Diagon's Used Books. It did not take much more walking before they reached it. Fleur finally broke and looked at Harry surprised.

"I was not sure how much more of Diagon Alley you wanted to see. If you want I can show you more of it another time. But all of that running has made me a bit tired." Harry said simply. Fleur stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay, it iz decided." She said before walking into the bookstore.

The bookstore was quieter than the one he usually bought his school books from. It was more reminiscent of a library than a bookstore. Fleur even looked as if she were enjoying it more than the charms store or ice cream from earlier. At first, he thought she was just browsing but he quickly realized that she was searching for a specific book. Harry left her to her search.

He had never been a fan of bookstores, not like Hermione. Sure, he liked the smell of old books well enough and when he needed to buy a specific book, they were great. But he never got the point of browsing through one like he was a scholar in search of lost knowledge. Fleur managed to pull off the look of course but he would still rather the smell of broomstick oil and browse through the newest and greatest brooms on display any day.

It was then that he noticed Fleur talking to the clerk and he moved toward them. The clerk was an old woman who smiled fondly as she listened to Fleur. He was too far away to hear what she was saying but it looked like she was describing something. Eventually, a book flew off one of the shelves and landed in front of Fleur.

Fleur smiled brightly and nodded. "Could you hold eet for me, please? I can come back in a week or two…" Fleur said slowly as Harry stopped beside her.

"I'll buy it," Harry said as he quickly pulled out some galleons. Fleur looked over at him with bright eyes but he could tell she was about to refuse. "Don't worry about it, Fleur. After tonight, what's another couple of galleons?" He asked wryly. Harry honestly did not mind buying the book either. If Fleur paid him back then combined with the onion and free ice cream he had not actually spent any money at all.

Fleur hesitated for only a moment longer before nodding deeply. "Thank you, 'Arry." She said.

Harry shrugged, attempting to play it off as cool as possible and he pulled out the galleons before stopping. "That book too." He told the clerk as he pointed at a nearby book that looked to have just been sold to the shop.

Fleur watched him curiously as he handed the clerk three galleons and grabbed the two books. "Thank you, have a good night ma'am." He said before turning to leave the store with Fleur following after him.

They were quiet as they walked and Harry eventually turned into the side alley that Fleur had apparated them into. He made it a few feet in before an arm suddenly hooked its way through his elbow and chest. A moment later he felt like he was getting squeezed tightly and then enlarged only a moment later. His stomach raced as he opened his eyes and looked around.

Sure enough, it was the Hogsmeade garden, exactly where they had left.

Harry still felt terribly nauseous for a few moments but it was much better than the trip to Diagon Alley had been. He looked around for Fleur and it was then that he noticed her right beside him, still holding his arm. She did not say anything as he looked over at her, nor did she look away, and her arm remained locked in place. Not that he minded terribly much.

"Here is your book," he said after they began to walk through the garden.

Fleur nodded and grabbed the book before smiling softly. "You know you can take that silly hat off now…"

Harry stiffened, having forgotten it was even there. He quickly relaxed and returned her smile. "Oh? You think it's silly? But I was just getting used to it, besides, it's gotten a bit chilly." He said pompously.

Fleur snorted softly before grabbing the hat off of him and hiding it away. "What about your hat then, Fleur?" He asked, eyeing it. At some point between their great escape and the bookstore, she had put her hair back up and hidden it within the hat.

"What, you want to touch my hair again? I do not think I can let you make a bigger fool of yourself." She sighed sadly. "The hat stays on." She declared. Harry was surprised at just how disappointed he was at her words but he did not push the issue.

Another minute went by and Harry listened to the soft wind. It had even begun to snow lightly. If he had been by himself he may have been cold, but with Fleur basically being a walking heater and holding so close to him, he was quite toasty. Despite that, at one point she even shivered and pulled him closer to her. He debated asking her if she wanted to head back. He knew if he did that would mean the end of their night but he would hate it if she was suffering in the cold.

"Do you have an interest in Enchantments?" Fleur asked eventually and Harry reddened slightly. He had wondered when she would ask that.

"I do. They do not offer a class on it here but we go over it every once in a while in Charms. It was always slightly interesting to me but I never thought much about it. Seeing how much you love it made me wonder if I should look more into it. I mean I need to use the Crystal Onion for something…" Harry explained delicately. Fleur stared at him deeply and Harry pretended not to notice. He was pretty sure she did not completely believe his explanation but so what?

"If you read that book and find that you actually are interested in the subject, come talk to me about it. I will not take you as my apprentice but I can definitely teach you some things." She told him after a moment.

Harry smiled and looked over at her. "Thank you, Fleur. I will."

It was becoming rapidly dark so he could not be sure, but it looked like her cheeks and neck darkened at his words. He was surprised to find that she looked away first. But only a moment later she looked back and held the onion out for him.

"Here, do not be afraid to experiment with it but remember that it is not cheap." She told him as he gingerly grabbed the heavy object. He looked at it closely once more now that it was back in his hands.

Suddenly, the warmth beside him grew until it was right beside his face. He turned toward it but before he could, a pair of warm lips connected with his cheek. He was stunned and enjoyed the feeling for what felt like forever. But all too soon, they pulled away and with them, Fleur's arm. "Thank you for tonight, 'Arry. Whatever happens in the future with the tournament and… us… I want you to know that I will never forget it." Fleur looked to be debating saying something more before stopping. "Goodnight, 'Arry." She said and turned away.

Harry watched her leave, a large smile plastered on his face. Oh, Ron would never believe him. Neither would Hermione should he ever tell her. No, he decided, he would not tell anyone about that night. If Fleur would always remember that night then he would keep it as a private memory and never forget it either.

Harry had not even noticed that he was walking back to the carriages until a voice called out to him. "Blimey, Harry, what are you over there grinning for? C'mon!" Ron called out.

Harry knew he should hide his smile but he just couldn't. He walked lazily over to Ron's carriage as the snow came down faster and faster. "Bloody Hell, Are you not cold? Can you take any longer?" He called out after a few moments of watching Harry.

For his part, Harry felt a little guilty and sped up a bit before reaching the carriage. Inside was Ginny and Hermione huddled up together and glaring daggers at Harry.

He looked at Ron questioningly as the boy made room for Harry to sit beside him. "No one was expecting the cold and snow today. Well, Hermione did, but Ginny and I are a bit undressed." The boy explained, his cheeks flushed but not from embarrassment.

"Sorry, guys." He said, not daring to point out there were other carriages left in the park. Even after seeing him, they could have just left if they were so cold. None said anything in response and he began to wonder if forcing them to wait in the cold was the reason for their attitude.

"So how did it go, mate? We thought that we might see you at some point but we never did. Were you inside all evening?" Ron asked eventually.

Harry hesitated over his answer. He had forgotten it was supposed to be Hogsmeade that he was showing Fleur. That is what he told Ron and Hermione and that is what they expected to have happened. "No, we stayed out of town mostly. We toured the garden before I showed her around the grounds again. She did not mention wanting to get food or anything and I suppose I just forgot. But we agreed to do it again sometime."

Ron seemed slightly surprised by his answer but he smiled at Harry and began to speak before another voice cut in.

"So your date with Phlegm went great then?" Ginny asked after a couple of moments.

"It was not a date, Ginny- wait, Phlegm?" He asked.

The ensuing silence lasted long enough that it started to become awkward. Finally, Hermione began to explain. "She means Fleur, Harry. She means-"

"I mean Phlegm, 'Arry, a prissy little snot. A high maintenance, French diva." Ginny told him succinctly.

Harry nodded slowly, but he was still rather confused. When had Ginny even heard Fleur call him "'Arry?"

"You do not even know her, Ginny, you really should not be calling her that." Hermione stepped in.

"And you do? She's Veela. That is all I need to know. Besides, can't you see how she has Harry here all obsessed with her? I am deeply curious as to what she and her friends are laughing about right now."

Harry felt his face redden in embarrassment at her words. He would be lying if he said he did not feel a bit angry. But mostly, he was confused. He tried to connect the Fleur he knew to the one Ginny described. There just was no connection at all and he could only believe that Ginny just did not know what she was talking about.

"Come on, Ginny," Ron said pleadingly, Ginny stared at him defensively for a moment before seeming to realize her little outburst was not appropriate. She blushed and glanced at Harry before staring out the window.

Harry said nothing more about Fleur or his night to Ginny. Mostly because he did not know what to say and partly because he was pretty sure Ginny did not mean what she was saying. Still, he knew he had to say something. He remembered Fleur's departing words to him and knew that if he did not say something to Ginny now, he would regret it.

With Hogwarts quickly closing in, he began to speak. "Fleur is a bit prissy and she has been snotty around me before, not to mention: French. As for high maintenance? I spent more money tonight than I have in all the days of my entire life put together… But even having said all that, I had a great time and I know she did too. I cannot wait to see her again. You are right, I may not know Fleur. But you know what? You definitely don't." He said, feeling more and more sure of himself as he went on.

With that, he leaned back into the carriage bench and looked out his own window casually.

It was an awkward rest of the ride back to Hogwarts with not even Ron saying anything. When they finally stopped, Ginny was quick to hop out of the carriage and start heading toward the castle. Hermione looked at him meaningfully before chasing after the girl.

Ron and Harry came out last and their trek was slower and far more calm. "A bit rich of her to talk about being a diva, mate," Ron told him after a while. Harry snorted at his friend and shook his head amusedly in response.

"So tell me, there are only so many trees you can show a girl, what did you two get up to after that?" Ron asked Harry, completely serious.