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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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"Er, hi," he said with a quick, faint smile. "Can we talk privately?"
Fleur stared in surprise for a moment before shaking herself out of it. "Oui," she nodded. "Of course."
He glanced over his shoulder at the doors. "Er, outside maybe?" he asked tentatively. "It's too easy for people to listen here."
"Zat will be fine," she agreed.
"Right."
Fleur followed him out of the hall, inwardly stunned at just hownervous he was! They remained silent as they made their way down to the lake, drawing curious and speculative looks from teacher and student alike. That made her shudder: the fallout from this would be horrendous! Her father was good with public relations, but she doubted that anyone was good enough for this!
He led her to a large rock overlooking the water, and she shuddered at the memories the sight provoked. That blasted lake was what started this whole affair in the first place! If only she could go back in time and change things...
"Er, I hope this is okay," he said nervously.
"It is fine," she said with a small smile to ease his nerves. "I am just not fond of ze water. Veela and water, zey do not mix."
Harry frowned as he crawled up on the rock and sat down cross-legged. "Why?" he asked curiously.
Fleur studied him for a moment, and found that his curiosity was genuine. Shrugging internally, and deciding that they had to start somewhere, she likewise levered herself up and sat down next to him. Her own nerves eased with the realization that he wasn't angry with her.
"We are creatures of air and fire," she explained. "Our magic is based on zose elements. Water interferes wiz it."
Harry frowned deeply and looked away from her out over the water as he contemplated her answer. His nerves were still plainly showing in the way his fingers worried at the hem of his robes; he was clearly uncomfortable with her. She had no idea what to do to fix it, either.
"So you were at a pretty big disadvantage then?" he asked eventually.
Fleur sighed at the memory. "Oui," she said quietly. "Zo I think zat your disadvantage is just as great. You do not 'ave as much education."
Harry snorted at that. "Maybe," he agreed grudgingly, "but I had help. I never could have done it on my own."
Fleur was shocked by the guilt that washed over his features, but something did not add up. As far as she could tell, he was not the sort to cheat! Drawing on every ounce of maturity she could muster, she forced herself not to jump to conclusions, even if he did seem to think badly of his own actions.
"'ow so?" she asked curiously.
A fond smile appeared on his face. "One of the House Elves is a friend of mine," he explained. "He turned up with the Gillyweed right before the Task started. He said he overheard some of the Professors talking and decided to help me out." He suddenly snorted, his morbid amusement apparent. "I fell asleep in the library trying to figure it out. I wouldn't even have made it if he didn't wake me up."
Fleur was surprised he would call a House Elf his friend – and then, as she listened, even more so that he felt guilty about it! "Zere is nuzzing wrong wiz zat," she frowned. "Your friends are allowed to 'elp you."
"I guess," he said morosely, dropping his gaze to his lap. And then he sighed and abruptly changed the subject. "Did your dad tell you?" he asked simply.
Fleur stared at him, taken aback by how quickly he switched tracks. It took some effort to get her wits about her in the wake of it. When she did, she also gave a breathy sigh, and leaned back on her hands, still watching him intently.
"If you mean zat you 'ave accepted ze proposal, zen yes, 'e as told me," she said quietly. Lowering her voice slightly – and unable to prevent her own guilt from coming through in it – she whispered, "I am zo sorry, 'Arry. I did not mean for zis to 'appen to you, and I cannot zank you enough for what you are doing."
Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault, Fleur," he said thickly. "It just is. I honestly don't know how to deal with it, but I can't let you die."
Tired of staring at his ear, and moved by the sudden turbulence of his emotions, Fleur reached out and caught his chin with one slender finger, using it to turn his head to face her. The intimacy of the gesture surprised her as much as it did him; she did not generally touch boys, because they tended to take it as an invitation. Harry, on the other hand, merely searched her eyes for sincerity as she spoke.
"Zank you," she repeated with feeling. "I do not know 'ow eizzer, but I 'ope we will manage. If we must be togezzer, zen I want us to be 'appy."
He smiled faintly at her. "Me too," he admitted. "But this– this is–"
He huffed and turned away again, his struggle for words clear on his face. She simply gave him the time; what else could she do? It was an impossible situation, and nobody had any answers! They were going to have to muddle through it, and that would take patience.
As the silence stretched she could tell that he was debating with himself over something, but what it was, she could only imagine. She had to admit that he was rather brave to do this; most men would have run away screaming, and the few that remained would have wanted to use her as a toy! But Harry? He was genuinely concerned, and she could tell that he would never harm her.
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Enjoying the fanfic and hungry for more?
Dive deeper into the story with over 45+ chapters ahead! Your support on Patreon keeps the adventure alive. Visit my Patreon page to unlock exclusive content and support the continuation of this fanfic journey!
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~