The Delacour family waited nervously in the living room of their home. Their guest, whose arrival had been confirmed the previous day, was about to appear.
Gabrielle, however, was the only one who, besides feeling nervous, radiated excitement. She longed to reunite with her savior, this time under better circumstances. She was so absorbed in her enthusiasm that she didn't notice the tension that gripped the rest of her family. After all, inviting a strange werewolf into their home was not an easy decision, and the fear that something could go wrong lingered.
Despite Mr. and Mrs. Delacour seeming ready to welcome their guest with courtesy and gratitude, they weren't as calm as they wanted to appear. Alain, in particular, was prepared for any eventuality; he wouldn't put his family at risk. While he had decided to give his daughter's savior a chance, he had also taken precautions. Two trusted Aurors were hidden in the house, ready to intervene if things took a wrong turn. It wasn't the most honorable thing to set a trap, but Alain was determined to protect his family, no matter what.
The clock struck the agreed hour, and a little more than a minute later, a house elf appeared before them.
"Master, mistress, a guest is waiting at the door. He says he was invited by you." (Elf)
"Did he come alone?" Mrs. Delacour asked.
"Yes, my lady." (Elf)
"Let him in." (Alain)
The family kept their eyes fixed on the entrance to the room. Moments later, the house elf returned, accompanied by a hooded figure, covered by a dark cloak.
"Good evening," I greeted, immediately noticing the hypnotic charm that radiated from the three women present, but as with any other influence over my mind, I quickly became desensitized.
"Welcom..." Alain began to speak nervously but stopped when he saw his youngest daughter break free from her sister's arms and run toward me.
Gabrielle threw herself at me, wrapping me in a strong hug, to the amazement and fear of her entire family. I knew my clothes didn't inspire confidence, but I couldn't afford to reveal my face or any recognizable features until I was sure nothing would be disclosed.
"Thank you, Mr. Werewolf," Gabrielle said in heavily accented English. The girl had practiced that phrase ever since she learned of my visit; it was what she wanted to say to me from the bottom of her heart.
"Ohhh... you're adorable," I patted her head, remembering how Ginny was a few years ago. "But I'm not a werewolf. I liked what you used to call me better... Loup-garou?"
Gabrielle giggled before playfully correcting me:
"Loup-garou, werewolf." (Gaby)
"Ohhh..." I realized then the reason for her laugh. I felt a bit silly; it made sense. I suppose I'll learn French when I have time.
"Gabrielle, viens ici," Apolline said nervously. She had noticed my almost immediate resistance to her charms, which put her on alert without her realizing it.
The girl, though a bit reluctant, obeyed her mother and approached her. I noticed how the entire family seemed to relax when Gabrielle moved away from me, even Alain loosened his grip slightly on the wand he kept hidden.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Apolline said, holding Gabrielle in her arms, as her husband approached, extending his hand in greeting.
"Alain Delacour," he introduced himself firmly.
"And I am Apolline Delacour, and these are my daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle," his wife added.
"A pleasure. You can call me Red," I replied before pausing to ask, "Are you sure you can keep my identity a secret?"
"Of course, it's the least we can do," Alain replied seriously.
"Everyone?" I insisted, wanting to make sure.
"You have nothing to worry about," Apolline reassured me with a calming smile.
"Alright," I sighed, though I could still feel other presences in the house with my [Life Sense], I decided to trust them.
With a decisive gesture, I removed the hood, fully revealing my face and hair.
"Si rouge!" Gabrielle exclaimed, amazed by my appearance.
The entire family widened their eyes in surprise, not only because of the color of my hair but also because of my features in general. They had noticed I wasn't very tall, but now they understood why—I was much younger than they had imagined, with a face that still retained a certain youthful air.
"Surprise!" I said, trying to lighten the mood in response to their astonished expressions.
"You're the werewolf?" Fleur asked in almost unintelligible English, caught between disbelief and curiosity.
"You're... much younger than we expected," Apolline added, trying to process the situation. "How old are you, if I may ask?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"I'm twelve," I replied honestly, watching once again as surprise took over their faces.
"Twelve?!" Apolline and Alain reacted in unison.
"Es-tu plus jeune que moi ?!" Fleur exclaimed, even more shocked.
"Yes, twelve," I nodded. "If you want, you can check my records at the British Ministry or Hogwarts, but I'd prefer if you didn't. It would only cause trouble if they find out I'm involved in France when I'm supposed to have never been here," I said with a wink, trying to ease the tension.
Gabrielle was the only one who didn't fully understand what was happening, as she knew the least English of everyone present, just a few scattered words. However, she also looked at me, fascinated by the color of my hair and eyes, wondering how something could be so intensely red.
Apolline and Alain exchanged glances, almost expecting the other to say something to dismiss what they had just heard. The plans they both had seemed to have been disrupted by the information revealed.
...
I was sitting on one of the armchairs in front of the Delacour family, drinking tea and eating biscuits that the house elves had brought us.
"So, are you really the werewolf who saved Gabrielle?" Alain translated Fleur's question. He and his wife took turns translating to facilitate the conversation with their daughters.
"Yes, I'm the one, but I'm not a werewolf." (Red)
"You don't have to hide it, no one here will judge you," Alain insisted.
"It's good to know, but I'm really not a werewolf," I repeated, although I noticed that no one seemed to believe me.
"But I saw you," Gabrielle interjected, "and I'm not afraid of you," she clarified.
"I know, but what you saw was the result of a particular kind of magic," I explained to the little one. "It's not lycanthropy; it's more of a transformation with a similar appearance. Would you like to see it?" I asked, standing up slowly, which made some family members tense up as I stepped back a little.
Apolline and Alain seemed doubtful, but before they could say anything, Fleur nodded with curiosity, wanting to see the transformation. With her approval, I agreed. My body changed quickly, surprising everyone present.
"Wow!" Fleur and Gabrielle exclaimed in unison.
[What do you think?] words appeared in message boxes in front of the four of them.
"Is this what Gabrielle has been seeing?" Apolline reacted, astonished.
"Yes, mom, it was this," Gabrielle confirmed, excited that everyone could now see it.
[Sorry, it's hard for me to speak properly in this form, and I wanted to avoid confusion], I explained through the magical messages.
"Are you really not a werewolf?" Alain asked, noticing how quickly and apparently painlessly I had transformed. Only a few pure-blooded lycanthropes, like Fenrir Greyback, could do something similar.
[No, it's just an ability that makes me look like one. It's not contagious or anything like that. In fact, this ability only works in French territory], I clarified, which piqued their curiosity even more. [If I'm in certain areas of France, I could even transform into a quadruped].
Alain appeared intrigued. He approached with more confidence, though he hadn't completely let down his guard. With my permission, he began to examine my appearance—from the claws and fur I had developed to my animalistic face. Although my appearance resembled that of a werewolf, there was something more to it. I looked like a wolf, but perhaps there were also traces of other animals, like a hyena, mixed into the transformation.
After a more detailed examination and seeing how quickly I could de-transform, Alain finally seemed to believe me. He chuckled with a touch of melancholy, thinking about the resources the Ministry had wasted on silver dust and dittany, believing they had been attacked by a werewolf. He no longer considered revealing anything about me like before. Upon discovering that not only was I a child but also not a true lycanthrope, he decided it wouldn't be so bad to keep my secret, though his wife's orders also influenced his decision.
Once I returned to my normal form, the conversation continued, now much more relaxed.
"So, you were just passing by and decided to save Gabrielle?" Apolline asked, still intrigued.
"Yes, more or less. I came to France incognito… sorry for the illegal entry," I apologized, giving Alain a timid smile as I realized he was an Auror.
"It's fine, I can overlook anyone entering the country to save my daughter," Alain said with a smile.
"Weren't you scared?" Apolline asked.
"Not really. My only fear was not being able to save Gabrielle or failing to try. I also have a younger sister, and I imagined what would happen if something similar happened to her. I couldn't stand it, so I decided to use my ability—the one that makes me look like a 'werewolf'—since I was in France. So, I gave it a shot." (Red)
"And we are completely grateful for that," Alain said, replaying the scene in his mind. "But still, you should have asked for help. You're too young to get involved in these matters..."
"I don't speak French, and at that moment, I couldn't change form in the middle of the fight without risking Gabrielle and me getting hit by the spells from our pursuers. Do you think people would've stopped to help a werewolf?" (Red)
"Well, you make a good point," Alain admitted.
"In fact, when I saw fewer and fewer options, I considered escaping with Gabrielle using some personal methods, taking her with me to England," I said, partially hiding the truth. I had actually considered calling Elise to transport us to my [fief]. "At least until I figured out who she was and where to return her."
"It's good that it didn't come to that. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't returned when you did," Apolline said, hugging her daughter tightly to her chest.
"By the way, how did you get to France? You said you came alone," Alain asked. "I know I said I wouldn't do anything about it, but as an Auror, I at least want to know if there's any illegal portkey crossing our borders."
"Ah… that. I used Muggle methods." (Red)
"What?" Alain responded, visibly surprised.
"I turned invisible and snuck into the country using Muggle means." (Red)
"Oh..." he replied, realizing he hadn't considered that possibility. Although there were countermeasures, they weren't entirely effective.
"You travel with Muggles?" Fleur asked, intrigued.
"At least to get here. Then I use other methods once I know the way well." (Red)
"What methods?" she pressed.
"Riding unicorns, for example," I replied, causing another wave of astonishment.
"Riding unicorns?!" they exclaimed almost in unison.
"Yes, I have a unicorn friend I usually travel with. She has... some special abilities, which allow me to get to these places once I know them well." (Red)
"Are you saying you ran away from home, came to France riding a unicorn, and got involved in a kidnapping?" Alain asked, clearly incredulous.
"Yes… that's pretty much the truth," I admitted, watching the mix of consternation and amazement on the family's faces. Gaby, on the other hand, seemed excited by the idea of riding unicorns. "You see, I'm not someone who follows the rules to the letter. I was on vacation and wanted to explore, so I snuck into France on a whim. Getting involved in Gabrielle's kidnapping wasn't part of the plan, but it happened. I don't regret it, though—everything worked out in the end."
"You're… quite special," Apolline said, laughing at the oddity of my story. She no longer had any barriers up against me and seemed to find everything more amusing than she expected. "Although you shouldn't worry your parents like that."
"That's why no one will say anything about me being here… because I wasn't here," I responded with an exaggerated wink.
After that, the conversation continued more casually. Their curiosity about my [magical messages] and transformation became the main topic.
As for my method of communication, Alain found it fascinating and practical, though also terribly dangerous in the wrong hands. He relaxed a bit when I explained that I didn't know of any way to teach that magic.
Regarding my "lycanthropy," Alain and Apolline started theorizing. They deduced it could be some sort of blood curse, perhaps from a French ancestor who was cursed and transformed into a beast, fleeing to England because the curse didn't work outside France. They invented an entire, very logical and plausible story. Although they were wrong, I didn't correct them. I had no better way to explain the situation, and if they didn't ask directly, I wasn't going to reveal more details.
Finally, under those theories, they began to see me as "half-French" and used that idea to further strengthen their bond with me. After overcoming the initial nervousness, the family showed genuine interest in forming a real friendship. They seemed to understand that I wasn't a threat but someone they could trust.