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The atmosphere at the Burrow was one of happiness. It was after all the wedding day of their eldest son. All the members of the Weasley clan were bustling around making last minute arrangements, escorting guests and, in case of Fred and George, cracking jokes in front of the ladies. In other words, everyone was happy. Except one.

Harry James Potter was not a happy person. He was sad and angry. Sad because the woman for whom he harbored an all consuming love, was getting married to another man. It tore his heart apart and made breathing difficult. He was angry with himself for never having enough courage to confess his love to the woman of his heart. ‘But to her he was always a leetle boy’, Harry reasoned. It was one of the reasons why he had never confessed to her. He felt that she never saw him in that way. But that never stopped him from loving her. He felt that maybe one day she would see him as more than a ‘leetle boy’.

The woman in question was sitting in a room getting ready for the wedding. She looked at her image in the mirror and sighed. She was about to get married to a person whom she did not truly love and the person she loved would be going away on some life-threatning mission right after the wedding. She still failed to understand how everything had gone wrong. Though she felt that her vanity and cowardice are to be blamed. Maybe if she had not belittled him immaturely when they first met, everything would have been different. Sure, she had warmed upto him after the Second Task, but as they say, first impressions leave a lasting mark.

She had always been a bad judge of character and had the tendency to form opinions about people before properly knowing them.’ Maybe it had something to do with being a quarter Veela’, she mused. Life as a Veela was hard, men saw her as a sex toy and women regarded her as a boyfriend stealing bitch.

But Harry was different. He was immune to her Veela allure and beauty. He saw her as just another person. Sure, her fiancé was also resistant to her allure but then again, ’resistent’ was the word. She could still make him drool like an idiot if she focused the full strength of her allure on him.

She did not know when she had fallen in love with Harry. Maybe it was when he pulled her sister out of the lake at the risk of his own life and position in the Triwizard Tournament, maybe it was during those small conversations where he smiled and joked with her or maybe it was during those meals they shared at the Gryffindor table and their hands accidentally brushed against each other. Those memories still caused butterflies in her stomach. One thing, however, was certain. By the Third Task, she was head over heals in love with the ebony haired man.

Fleur smiled at the thought. Then her expression saddened. In all those moments, Harry never showed any sign of seeing her as more than a friend. ‘But he did not know her well enough’ , she had reasoned. She decided that after the end of the year, she would get a job in England and make an effort to get close to him. Then the perfect opportunity presented itself when she saw how Harry was to the Weasley family. Their handsome eldest son was just the right candidate for her purpose.

Then the year ended with a fiasco and a tragedy. Harry was devastated by the death of Cedric Diggory and blamed himself for his death. It broke her heart to see him so sad. Oh, how she longed to kiss him and assure him that it wasn’t his fault and everything was going to be okay. It however strengthened her resolve to return to England.

And she indeed returned to England within the next few months and took a job at Gringotts where she knew Bill Weasley worked. But then everything went wrong. She made friends with Bill and he often invited her to the Burrow. But Harry was never there, he was either at school or at the headquarter of some resistence movement. She hated Bill’s family, especially his mother and his sister. They never made her feel welcomed and were always insulting her. It annoyed her to no end that Bill hardly ever stood up for her. But she persevered in the hope of getting to meet her Harry again.

Then things went downhill even more. She ended up as Bill’s girlfriend and the fiancé. How she let herself into this situation, she would never know. Maybe she was so desperate to get close to Harry that she went along with anything that let her stay close to the Weasley family. In hindsight, she now realized that perhaps it was her biggest mistake.

Harry came to the Burrow during the summer before his 6th year. But by then she was Bill’s fiancé. It posed a dilemma in front of her. Should she confess her feelings to Harry? But then what would Harry think of her , that she played with Bill’s emotions to get to him? No, this would destroy any respect that Harry had for her. It broke her heart to come to the conclusion that she must move on. But however hard she tried, she couldn’t and staying in the same house as Harry did not make it any easier.

Another opportunity presented itself when Bill got injured in the Death Eater attack and his face got scarred. Hell, Molly practically presented her with ‘Break up with Bill and get the hell out of our family’ card on a silver platter. But Harry was present and Fleur was confronted by another dilemma. If she went along with her heart, Harry would see her as a vain person who only loved Bill for his looks. Harry would hate her and Fleur could not bear the thought of Harry looking at her with hate in his eyes, even if it meant condemning herself to a life with a person she did not truly love.

Fleur was roused from her thoughts by the voice of her mother, “Fleur darling, come down quickly”

“Coming maman”

As Fleur made to leave the room, a single tear rolled down her cheek, “My heart is and always will be yours ‘Arry, even if you never realize it.”

xxxxxx
Harry looked on sadly as Fleur slowly and gracefully approached Bill and the priest. She looked like goddess in her magnificent silver wedding gown. Her head, however, was bowed down and she looked sad. ‘That was strange. Shouldn’t she be happy on her wedding day’, thought Harry, a bit confused. He was even more confused when Fleur glanced in his direction for a fraction of a second and he saw tears in her eyes. ‘Must be my imagination’, thought Harry.

He remembered how happy he was to see Fleur at the Burrow. But that happiness was short lived. His heart broke into a million pieces when he was informed of Fleur’s engagement to Bill. As painful as he knew it will be , he decided to move on. And in some way he even succeeded. He even managed to get jealous when he saw Ginny and Dean kissing. He then went onto become Ginny’s boyfriend and for a time everything was ok. Then on the fateful night when Dumbledore was murdered, he saw Fleur tending to Bill and all thoughts of Ginny went out of his mind. Oh, how he would have given anything to be in Bill’s position. He knew then and there that his heart belonged only to Fleur. He, therefore, broke up with Ginny because in good conscience he could not lead her on when his belonged to another.

But Ginny did not seem to believe that they had broken up permanently. She seemed to believe that they would get back together after the war. Maybe the feeble reason he gave her for the break up was the cause. That must be it. Anyway, in her belief, she had kissed him a few days ago. At that time his mind was occupied with thoughts of Fleur and her upcoming wedding. So he enjoyed the kiss imagining Fleur to be the one kissing hm. He felt guilty afterwards but hey, everything is fair in love and war, right?

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a patronus claiming that the Ministry had fallen and the Burrow is under attack. This was followed by the falling of wards and the appearance of the Death Eaters. In an instant the wedding ground was in an uproar. The sounds of shouting, screaming, pops and cracks of apparition filled the air. Harry could not quite comprehend exactly what was happening. He saw Ron grab one of his hands while Hermione grabbed his other hand. Just before Hermione apparated them out, he felt a hand grab onto his shoulder. After a brief sensation of being squeezed through a narrow pipe, they appeared in a narrow alley. As soon as his feet touched solid ground, harry whipped out his wand and spun on his heels and pointed his wand at the unknown passenger. Then his mouth fell open.

“Fleur?”

This seemed to catch the attention of Ron and Hermione.

“What are you doing here Fleur? Shouldn’t you be with Bill?”, Hermione asked.

Fleur seemed very nervous and looked anywhere but at Harry. Harry was looking at Fleur with a confused and concerned expression. He could make out the tear tracks on Fleur’s flawless cheeks and her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

“We need to get to safety, Harry. We can’t linger in this alley.”, Hermione spoke from behind.

“But where shall we go?”, Ron inquired, though his eyes were on Fleur.

“Grimmauld Place”, Harry said.

“Will it be safe, you know, after Snape’s betrayal?”, Hermione looked skeptical.

“We will scope it out first”
xxxxxx
An hour later, the group was standing in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

“Now Fleur, tell us why did you come with us?”, Hermione inquired, crossing her arms.

Fleur looked extremely nervous and seemed to be shaking slightly. She glanced at Harry and said in a small voice, “Can I speak to you Harry…..privately?”

Ron and Hermione were astonished. Harry however was looking at Fleur curiously.

“You came all this way…..to talk to Harry?”, Hermione stammered. Fleur nodded.

“Okay, come with me. Ron, Hermione, keep a lookout. And don’t worry, I will be safe”, Harry added as he saw Hermione’s expression.

Harry led Fleur to an empty room across the hall and locked the door. Harry then cast a few privacy and locking charms before turning to Fleur. “What’s the matter Fleur? What did you want to talk about?”

Fleur looked anywhere but at Harry as she said,”I have a confession to make to you Harry”

“What confession?”

“I-I-I l-love you ‘Arry”, Fleur stammered and rushed towards him and hugged him tightly.

Whatever Harry expected, was not this. He froze as Fleur hugged him and his mind shut. It did not help that he could feel Fleur’s soft feminine parts pressed against his chest and he could smell her sweet smelling hair. ‘Fleur loves me! WOOPEE!’ Harry rejoiced internally. But then reality caught up with him and his brain returned from whatever vacation it was enjoying. “How? I thought I was nothing but a little boy to you?”

Fleur winced at his words.”You were , in the beginning. But you grew up in my heart during the year. You never treated me badly even though I always did at the beginning. Even your best friends were cold towards me but never you, although I deserved it. Then you rescued my sister. I know they told you that it was not really required but believe me it was. Water and Veela do not really mix. It was one of the reasons I was unable to complete the task. We grow weaker the more time we spend in the water. Then after the task we started spending more time together, even though it was always in the company of others. I don’t know what it was about you that drew me towards you but the more time we spent together, the more I felt the pull. Maybe it was your genuine smile or maybe it was the way you treated me as a woman, not a Veela. All I know is by the time it was time for the Third Task, I was in love with you.” Fleur was crying softly on Harry’s shoulder,” I know you have never seen me as more than a friend but I do not regret falling in love with you nor do I regret risking everything for a chance to confess my feelings for you.”

Harry was shocked by the amount of emotion and conviction with which Fleur spoke. “What are you talking about Fleur? I had fallen for you when you asked me about the bouillabaisse. I know it was brief interaction but in it you did not act like a fangirl. At first I thought it was because you were from another country and probably didn’t know. But when during the following months you treated me indifferently, as though I was just another boy, I developed a crush for you. I admit that I was very angry when you called me ‘leetle boy’, but now, looking back, I believe I was a little immature at that time, though you probably didn’t know it. Anyway, after the Second Task, when you kissed me, I felt like I was in heaven. During our little conversations that followed, I got to know the woman behind the icy mask and I fell in love with you. It didn’t hurt that you looked like a goddess.

Now it was Fleur’s turn to be shocked. Harry loved her? Damn it, if they both could have plucked up the courage to confess to each other, they could have been together for so long. She was also immensely relieved that her love was not one sided.

“But its too late Fleur.” Fleur’s heart clenched painfully. ”You are Bill’s fiancé now, and if the Death Eaters hadn’t interrupted, you would have been his wife by now.”

“Then I have to thank the Death Eaters, no?”

“What?”

“’Arry, I like Bill but I don’t love him. I formed a relationship with him to get close to you and partly in an effort to move on. But I can’t move on ‘Arry. My magic and my heart always screams for you. Please let me be with you.” Fleur said in a desperate tone.

“In other words you cheated on Bill and played with his emotions. How can I be sure that your love for me is genuine, that I am not just another staircase for you to use to reach another man?”, Harry said forcefully, ignoring the hurt look in Fleur’s eyes.

Fleur sighed. She knew in her heart that this question would arise. It was a question on which everything depended. So she did the only thing she could think of. Gently separating herself from Harry, she raised her wand and intoned
“I, Fleur Isabella Delacour, swear on my life and magic, that I truly loved only Harry James Potter, since the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts, and still love only Harry James Potter with all my heart. I will never willingly cheat Harry James Potter .”

Fleur then muttered,”Lumos”, and the wandtip flared with light, showing the truth of the magical oath.

Harry was speechless. “But…”, he began to say but was cutoff as Fleur pressed a finger on his lips. “Your doubt is understandable, Harry. In fact I would have been surprised if you did not doubt me. I know what I did with Bill was wrong, but I don’t feel terribly guilty. His mother and sister never liked me and they openly insulted me and never once did Bill stood up to them. Besides, everything is fair in love and war, no?”

Harry chuckled as he remembered thinking those same words an hour ago. “Yes Fleur, it seems it is”, whispered Harry and leaned in towards Fleur. Fleur’s heart started pounding in her chest as she saw Harry lean towards her. Like iron is drawn is drawn to a magnet, Fleur was drawn to Harry, as for the first time since they fell in love with each other three years ago, their lips touched and all the feelings they had suppressed within their hearts for so long, exploded within them. Slowly their lips began to move against each other. Fleur gently grabbed Harry’s lower lip and sucked on it. A soft groan escaped from Harry and he increased the tempo of their kiss, furiously grabbing and releasing Fleur’s honeysuckle flavoured lips.

Fleur was in heaven as she felt Harry furiously kissing her. Oh, how she dreamed of this moment for so long. She gasped as she felt Harry’s tongue caressing her lips, silently seeking permission, which she granted eagerly. His tongue slowly wrapped itself around her own and pulled it inside his mouth and began sucking it slowly and lovingly. Fleur’s mind stopped functioning and all coherent thoughts went out of her mind. Her knees became weak and if it hadn’t been for Harry’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, she was sure that she would have collapsed on the floor.

‘If this was how it felt to be kissing someone you love, then I don’t want this to end, ever’, thought Harry. As he slowly suckled on Fleur’s tongue, he thought that Honeyduke’s finest sweets paled in comparison to its honeysuckle flavor. He pulled Fleur closer to himself. Fleur felt his arousal pressing into her and she moaned into his mouth. This encouraged Harry further as he began to explore every corner of her mouth. Nothing was left untouched or unexplored.

However, too soon for their liking, the nemesis of all good kisses, that is the need for oxygen, made its appearance and they were forced to separate, gasping for breath. Their forheads however kept touching.

“I love you Fleur. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“I love you too , ‘Arry, with all my heart. And oui, I shall be your girlfriend”

Harry wished he could stay like this forever but wishes rarely come true. Reluctantly he separated himself from Fleur. “Go back to France, Fleur”

“What? No, ‘Arry. I won’t leave you. I just got you. Let me come with you”, Fleur cried desperately.

“Absolutely not, Fleur. Britain is not safe for you at the moment. My mission is dangerous and I will not lead you to danger willingly. I love you too much”, Harry stated with conviction, locking his emerald green eyes with Fleur’s baby blue ones.

“I am not afraid of danger. ‘Arry. I can take care of myself.”

“No, Fleur. The path I will be going on will end with a fight between me and Voldemort. On the way we will come across some of the most vile Death Eaters. If we ever get caught by them, we will be tortured and killed, but you…your fate will be worse than death. No, I will not lead you onto that path. For if anything were to happen to you, I will not be able to continue fighting.”

By now Harry was crying. Fleur’s heart clenched painfully. As she gazed into his eyes, she clearly saw his love for her and also the truth behind those words. She shivered at the thought of what the Death Eaters would do to her and the impact it would have on Harry. No, she would not be his weakness.

“Then promise me that you will return to me when this is over.”, Fleur pleaded.

“ I don’t know if I can promise that Fleur. In all honesty I may not even survive this war.”

“NO!”, Fleur pressed her palm on Harry’s mouth,” NEVER , EVER say that again. You WILL win this war, you WILL defeat Voldemort and you WILL return to me.”

Harry nodded. Tears were flowing freely from both set of eyes. Harry slowly caressed Fleur’s cheek, trying to burn her image into his mind. “Go back to France, Fleur”, Harry said softly, pressing a small piece of parchment into her hand and enchanting it into a portkey.

Fleur nodded numbly and then kissed him desperately. Her eyes were river without a dam. As the parchment began to glow, Fleur looked into Harry’s eyes and said, ”Return to me ‘Arry. I will wait for you, for all my life, if required…….and stay safe, mon amour.
xxxxxxx

A/N: The characters belong to J.K.Rowling. The plot however is mine. You can also check out my main story-‘The Guardians of the Eternal Phoenix’ on my profile page. Enjoy and don’t forget to review!