Harry and Fleur spent nearly two more hours out by the lake, and while they didn't touch on anything horrifically personal, it went a long way toward making Harry feel more comfortable with her. If nothing else, her lack of experience in the romance department was a huge relief! Neither of them knew what to expect, and they would be figuring it out together.
She also – very hesitantly – brought up the issue of her attitude, and he was surprised to find that it was something that she had purposely cultivated. Early on at Beauxbatons, she had not been able to escape the drooling boys and jealous girls, and was forced to push them away. She admitted that it had so far prevented her from making any real friends.
While it was not how he would have chosen to handle the situation, Harry took it in stride as much as he could, and resolved to keep an open mind. He did have some of the same issues – his scar drew more attention than he would have liked – but he could admit that it was different. The way Ron alone reacted to her spoke volumes, and really, it would be an annoying way to live.
As for himself, he didn't have a whole lot to tell her. He didn't know her nearly well enough to get into his life before Hogwarts, and there wasn't all that much else to say about himself. Apart from explaining how his friends came to be – she got a kick out of the troll incident – he had little that he was comfortable sharing. Fortunately, she seemed to understand.
It was back to classes after that, and as they were both behind due to the many practice sessions they held for the Tournament, they didn't see each other again until Wednesday evening. At Sebastian's request, he met Fleur at the Beauxbatons carriage, from where they were to take the Floo to Chateau Delacour in France. It was time for the family meeting, and he was desperately nervous!
"Are you ready?" she asked as he stood there staring into the fire.
Harry glanced at her and nodded, but couldn't bring himself to speak. He felt as though his journey through that fireplace would irrevocably change his life! He was no closer to accepting the change in guardianship – let alone his impending marriage! – and this would make it so much more... real!
He even dressed up for the occasion. What few normal clothes he had were horrendous, so he had little choice but to wear the same robes that he wore to the Yule Ball. Fleur was surprised when she saw him – the way her eyebrows leapt off her face said it all – but fortunately, she had the tact not to mention it.
And now, here he was, about to make the leap...
"Relax, 'Arry," she advised. "You 'ave already met Papa and Gabrielle, and Maman does not bite."
Harry flushed in embarrassment at being so transparent, and as he smiled sheepishly up at her, he was momentarily struck by her beauty. For anyone else, she would not have been much to look at in her Beauxbatons blue everyday robes. For Fleur, however, the effect was stunning, and it made him feel very inadequate, which did not help matters!
She handed him the pot without further ado, and he obediently reached in and took a pinch of the powder. And then, as he tossed it into the fire and watched the flames turn green, he took a deep, steadying breath. This was it!
"Chateau Delacour!" he called out as he stepped in.
The ride was nothing like he expected. His only real experience was the short hop between the Burrow and Diagon Alley, but this was something else entirely! Grate after grate flashed by, and it went on seemingly forever! By the time he tumbled out of the fireplace on the other end, he felt like ten minutes had passed.
He landed in an undignified heap, and silently cursed his seeming inability to handle any form of magical travel whatsoever.
Groaning in discomfort, he cautiously pushed himself back to his feet and tried to refrain from dusting his robes off over the beautiful white marble flooring. The room he arrived in was stunning. It was clearly an entrance hall of some sort, but even so, it practically cried out to him that this room alone was probably worth more than his entire vault!
The marble he was standing on was only a small square, perhaps four feet on a side, in front of the large fireplace. All around it was dark hardwood laid in thin slats, shined to a high gloss. Where it met the walls it gave way to earthen tones which rose up from the ground, only to change abruptly to a pale blue at the halfway point.
As his eyes continued upward, he saw a beautiful crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, its facets reflecting myriad colors from the flames of the candles within. He actually had to pause for a moment as he wondered how they managed to keep it lit, but then he remembered that they probably used magic, and his eyes continued on.
Across from the huge, black marble fireplace that he had just been ejected from, there was a set of double doors that led deeper into the home. On the wall to the right was a much larger and extremely sturdy wooden door, not unlike the ones that protected the Hogwarts entry. The wall on the left was entirely made of glass, with a set of sliding panes in the middle to allow for entry.
Unfortunately, it was too dark to see what might be beyond them.
He felt very small by the time he finished his circuit, and then one of the double doors opened to reveal a woman straight out of a fairy tale. Her silvery hair, so very like Fleur's, was cut much shorter, falling only to her shoulders, and framed a delicate face with kind blue eyes. She wore a shimmering blue dress, which made Harry wonder if it was a family color or something.
She smiled kindly at him as she moved in his direction. "Welcome to your new 'ome, 'Arry," she said softly. "I am Arienne, Fleur's muzzer."
Harry swallowed a lump in his throat and bobbed his head. "Hi," he said shyly. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
The fireplace flared again before she could respond, and Fleur stepped gracefully out, which he envied. She brightened immediately upon catching sight of her mother, and was in her arms before Harry could so much as blink. He felt a pang of jealousy – he wished his own mother was there for him to hug – but squashed it ruthlessly.
"Maman!" she gushed. "I am so 'appy to be 'ome!"
Arienne gave her daughter a lingering squeeze and then gently separated from her. "Dinner is waiting in ze dining room," she advised, and then she moved over to put her arm over Harry's shoulders, forcing him to restrain an impulse to flinch away from her. "Come, 'Arry," she said gently. "Let us get to know you."
Harry swallowed thickly in trepidation.
As Arienne guided him out of the room, he reflected that of all the things he had faced – and there were so many – this was the scariest! He was in a strange country, with a strange family, and he had to get to know them because he would be living here and marrying their daughter! He was desperately afraid that he would do something wrong!
They passed out of the room into a surprisingly open hall, with mostly doorless arches leading to various other parts of the home. It was designed with the perfect balance between privacy and openness, and Harry found that he rather liked it. He caught glimpses of other rooms as they walked, and noted that while they were impeccably decorated, many seemed well used and loved, unlike the entryway.
Arienne led them through a door at the end, and where he expected a grand ballroom, he instead found a small, intimate dining area. It contained a simple oaken table with comfortable looking seats surrounding it, and a small door led out the other side, presumably to the kitchen. At the table sat Sebastian, an older veela woman he didn't know, and–
"'ARRY!" squealed Gabrielle.
And she was off like a shot! He barely had time to extract himself from Arienne before she barreled into him, staggering him and knocking him back a few steps. He instinctively brought his arms around her to keep her from falling and hurting herself, and his shock shone on his face.
"Er, hi," he greeted faintly.
The girl pulled her head away from where she had buried it in his chest, and her curious blue eyes peered up at him, edged with admiration, from under long silver bangs. "Ai-je pour vous?" she asked hopefully.
Harry opened his mouth, but then closed it again, having absolutely no clue what she just said – but the startled laughter from Arienne and Fleur told him that he'd missed something. He looked up and met Fleur's amused gaze with a questioning look.
"She wants to know if she can keep you," she grinned at him, causing him to blush. And then her gaze shifted to Gabrielle and her grin turned evil. "Désolé, Gabrielle, il est à moi, mais je vous laisse lui emprunter de temps en temps si vous voulez."
Gabrielle pouted at her, her lower lip sticking out cutely.
Harry blinked. "Er, do I want to know?" he asked tentatively.
Fleur smiled toothily at him. "I told 'er zat you are mine, but zat I will let 'er borrow you from time to time."
Harry blushed beet red, and came very close to burying his face in Gabrielle's hair to avoid the extremely amused scrutiny of his apparent new family. He supposed that it was good that they were joking with him, but he couldn't quite bring himself to fully share in their amusement. He was far too nervous.
"Come, 'Arry," offered a still-grinning Arienne, finally taking pity on him. "'ave a seat. Zis is my muzzer, Catarine, Fleur's grandmuzzer."
Gabrielle scrambled down out of his arms as they made their way to the table, and Arienne took her by the shoulder to guide her to a seat on the other side. Harry was neutral on that: the little girl amused him, and he wouldn't have minded sitting next to her. Then again, as Arienne leaned down to say something to her in French, he figured she needed a translator for the evening.
"Bonjour, Grand-mère," smiled Fleur, drawing his attention back to the table and the older veela. "Do not worry, 'Arry, she is not as scary as she looks."
"Thank you zo much, Fleur," snorted the older woman sarcastically. "You make such ze impression for me."
"Er, hi," Harry greeted softly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, 'Arry," she said with a genuine smile. "Although I must admit zat I am surprised. I zought zat Fleur would date an average boy before setting her sights so 'igh."
Harry turned an even deeper shade of red as he respectfully held Fleur's chair out for her like he'd seen so many boys do at the Yule Ball. It earned him a pleased smile as he took his own seat, which he returned only faintly. To say that he was overwhelmed would be putting it mildly!
And it wasn't over yet, for Sebastian was already responding to Catarine's barb. "Fleur does not do things by 'alf, Maman," he smirked, "as you will soon find out." Then, addressing the entire table, he added, "And let us speak in English tonight since 'Arry is not versed in our language. I will not 'ave 'im excluded from the conversation."
"Thank you, sir," said Harry quietly, genuinely appreciating the gesture; one of his greatest fears was that he would arrive here and not be able to understand anyone. He'd even gotten a book on French out of the library, for all the good it did to read about the language; he knew next to nothing!
"Please call me Sebastian, 'Arry," smiled the man. "We do not stand on ceremony 'ere."
Harry bobbed his head in understanding, though he doubted he could break that particular habit so easily, and then a soft noise caught his attention. He turned to see several House Elves entering with platters of food, and smiled warmly at them. It was easier to be around the subservient creatures than it was to be around humans, and ever since he freed Dobby, he'd been quite partial to them.
"Thank you," he offered one as it handed him a drink.
The elf smiled happily at him in return, obviously pleased.
"So, mon cher fils, is zis why you insisted zat I come tonight?" asked Caterine, turning a curious look on Sebastian.
"Yes, Maman," he nodded. "There are two announcements that I wish to make before we eat tonight. One should truly be Fleur's, but I believe that she will prefer if I make it for 'er?"
Fleur blushed. "S'il vous plaît," she nodded, giving Harry a nervous glance.
Harry shrank back in his seat, already having a good idea of what was about to happen. His only consolation was that Caterine was the only one in the room who didn't know what was going on. Gabrielle didn't count; he somehow didn't find her all that intimidating, and it was amusing to watch her expressions as her mother translated for her.
His cheeks started to heat yet again as Sebastian rose to his feet. If there was one thing he hated in life, it was being the center of attention, and he had a bad feeling that he was going to be exactly that in a few seconds. He had a strong urge to crawl under the table and hide, or maybe have one of the elves pop him out of the room...
Sebastian gave him a sympathetic look, and then he spoke. "Before I begin," he said seriously, "I do not want anyone asking questions of 'Arry on this first part. The reasons for this are not pleasant, and they are 'is to tell. Do not pressure 'im."
Harry winced, but nevertheless watched as Sebastian's gaze met each woman's in turn. Arienne obviously already knew; the sadness in her eyes, and the sympathy that shone on her face, said it all. Fleur and Caterine, however, were another matter entirely; they both looked puzzled. Harry was actually surprised that Sebastian hadn't told Fleur, at least.
"Due to another matter that I will cover shortly," he continued after impressing his will upon them, "I 'ad occasion to investigate 'Arry's living conditions, and found them to be less than ideal. Arienne and I 'ave therefore agreed to take custody. As of several days ago, 'Arry is a part of our family."
Fleur was shocked, and turned to Harry, already opening her mouth to ask the obvious question – but then she seemed to remember what her father had said, and abruptly closed it again. She frowned worriedly at him, but he shook his head at her; he imagined that he would probably tell her someday – she was to be his wife – but that day was most likely a long way off. Caterine, on the other hand, looked completely stunned, and didn't know what to say.
"Welcome to ze family, 'Arry," smiled Arienne, drawing his attention to her. "We know zis will be an adjustment for you, and zat you will not be used to 'ow we act wiz each ozzer, but we will do our best to make you comfortable."
Harry embarrassedly bobbed his head in her direction. "Thank you, ma'am," he said quietly.
"Arienne, 'Arry," she corrected gently. "You will get used to it."
Caterine piped up next, finally having recovered from her shock. "Yes, 'Arry, welcome," she smiled. Then she raised an eyebrow and shot Sebastian a brief but suspicious look. "I do 'ope zat ze arrangement meets wiz your approval?"
Harry nodded and smiled weakly at her. "Yes, ma'am," he said quietly. "It means a lot to me, it's just–" He paused to close his eyes for a moment to steady his emotions. "It's a lot to take in right now," he finished.
Harry could feel Fleur's concerned gaze still lingering on him, her eyes still full of questions, and Caterine was not far behind. He hoped he wouldn't have to get into it; his past was not something he enjoyed talking about. In all honesty, he would rather put it behind him and never look back!
That said, their concern, and Arienne and Sebastian's sympathy, brought a warmth to him that he could not recall ever feeling before. Having grown up with the Dursleys, he knew the difference between feigned interest and honest caring, and it was the latter that he was seeing now! It almost brought a tear to his eye, but he somehow managed to fight his emotions back, albeit with great difficulty.
"We are a fair family," said Sebastian after a moment. "You will learn the rules as you go, and I am sure that you will not be disappointed. Fleur can take you on a tour of the Chateau later so you will be able to find your way around."
Again, Harry simply nodded, and graced Fleur with a brief smile, which she returned. He had a feeling that her concern for him would remain until she either learned the truth or managed to forget about it – and that thought did not settle him at all.
"The other announcement," continued Sebastian, "is equally as momentous, if not more so since it involves two members of the family." Turning to Caterine with an amused glint in his eye, he asked her, "I believe you thought that Fleur would date an average boy first?"
Caterine snorted in amusement. "'E is only one of ze most famous wizards in ze world, mon fils," she smirked. "You cannot blame me for my surprise!"
Harry blushed again, and Sebastian chuckled in amusement. "Indeed he is, Maman," he smiled, "but do I 'ave a story to tell you."
"Oh?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"Indeed," he nodded. "You see, the Second Task of that awful Tournament 'ad an interesting consequence."
Caterine's surprised gaze moved to Fleur, who shifted uneasily in her seat. Harry had an odd desire to reach out and take her hand, but refrained; he wasn't certain whether or not she would appreciate it. At least Sebastian continued before she could get too much more uncomfortable...
"They did not report all of what happened in the lake," he said, his tone suddenly turning grave. "You see, Maman, Fleur was attacked by a large pack of grindylows, and 'Arry 'ere came upon 'er by chance and saved 'er life. In light of 'er veela 'eritage, 'e as also agreed to take 'er 'and in marriage so that the debt may be satisfied."
Caterine stilled so completely that she looked like a statue, and the only indication of her continuing life was the way the color slowly drained from her cheeks. Her shocked gaze traveled slowly from Sebastian to Fleur, whose cheeks were now stained a brilliant red in opposition. She stared for a moment, before–
"Is zis true?"
"Oui, Grand-mère," said Fleur quietly, and then she turned her gaze to the table in a strange cross between guilt and embarrassment.
Of course, that freed Caterine to turn to Harry next, and he, too, blushed brilliantly under her still-shocked gaze. He could not read her emotions, and that made him even more nervous than he already was. Was she angry with him?
"And you 'ave agreed to zis of your own free will?" she whispered.
Harry nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he said quietly.
Caterine stared at him for a long moment, making him squirm, and then suddenly launched herself to her feet. He thought she was going to run from the room, but instead she rounded the table and came tearing at him, and he instinctively flinched away. But before he could get his feet under him to run, she grabbed him up and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug that put Molly Weasley to shame!
"Zank you," she whispered in his ear as he tried desperately to control his reaction to the sudden contact. "Zank you so much!"
Harry remained stiffly in her embrace, with no idea what to do. He was genuinely grateful for her reaction, but also quite frightened by it! And then, to make matters worse, she manhandled him over to Fleur so she could pull her in as well!
He had no idea how long the hug lasted, but it seemed to go on for an eternity. Unlike Harry, Fleur extended her arms around both him and her grandmother, but Harry could not bring himself to do so. His breath was coming in short gasps, and having been taken completely and utterly by surprise, he could not stop himself from panicking!
"Maman, you are scaring 'im," called Sebastian suddenly. "'E is not used to being 'eld."
Caterine suddenly let go of him as though burned, her eyes going wide, and before Harry could think to escape, he felt himself hit by a Calming Charm from Arienne's direction. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stop the shaking fit that had overcome him so suddenly, and his face flamed in deepest shame over the fact that they'd noticed. It had been a long time since he'd had such a strong reaction!
"Sorry," he croaked quietly.
"'Arry?" called a deeply worried Fleur. "Are you alright?"
Harry nodded automatically. "Just– just give me a second," he rasped.
The room went silent, and Harry closed his eyes to concentrate on pulling himself back together and preventing the tears that wanted to fall. His emotions were going in every direction possible, ranging from fear over what just happened, to a great warmth caused by the same. He was very, very confused!
Finally, with a great shuddering breath, he opened his eyes again, and found that everyone was exactly where he left them, and they were all watching him with open concern. Arienne was so worried that she still had her wand out even, though the tip was listing toward the tabletop. He took one more breath, and smiled weakly at Caterine.
"I'm okay," he whispered. "And thank you."
The relief that crossed her features was palpable, but – thankfully – she didn't comment on the brief episode. "Thank you, 'Arry," she said softly instead. "I am so very 'appy zat you are doing zis for Fleur."
"She doesn't deserve to die, ma'am," he shrugged.
"Why don't we all sit down," said Sebastian calmly. "Dinner is getting cold."
They all took their places, and Harry was relieved when Sebastian deflected the conversation away from him, instead explaining in more detail how the situation with the marriage had come about. He was still horribly embarrassed that something like that had happened on his first evening with them, but there was little he could do about it. And as he dug in, he reflected that the food, at least, was quite good.
Now all he had to do was make it through dinner.