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Chapter 23 - Take Six: A Meal For Two

Dimension: 563 - Earth
Date: 31st July 2001 AD
Country: France - The French Riviera - The Base of the Marseeleveyre Mountains
Location: Unknown French Town.
Time: Evening

They landed in an alley between two buildings.

Fleur, after giving Harry the portkey (a wallet) to put in one of his pockets, led him out of the alley around the corner to a very expensive looking Muggle restaurant.

Harry was reluctant to enter, afraid to even touch anything.

As soon as they entered the Maitre'd greeted them.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, it's a pleasure to have you back with us."

"Thank you Jean." She replied with a smile.

"May I ask who this fine young gentleman is?" he asked turning to Harry.

"This is...." Fleur began.

"James Evans." Harry improvised, thinking it a better disguise not to go by his real name.

Fleur looked at him curiously for a second before realising what he was doing.

"A pleasure Sir." smiled the Maitre'd.

"Likewise." Harry returned.

The Maitre'd turned back to Fleur.

"Would you care for your usual table Mademoiselle?"

"Not this time Jean, can we have a quite table for two please."

"I have just the one," he said with a smile "This way please."

The restaurant was a bit like a hotel, very high ceilings with intricate decorations and rich red drapes and curtains.

They followed him up a wide flight of stairs onto the first floor, where they were presented with a small table by a window, the view looked out over what Harry guessed was the Mediterranean Sea.

"Here we are Monsieur, Mademoiselle."

Jean pulled back the chairs for them and moved to Fleur's to allow her to sit down.

Harry intercepted him and Jean gave him a knowing nod, leaving the pair to decide on their meal choices.

Fleur smiled at Harry as he slid her chair in for her before moving to his own and sitting down.

Scanning the menu Harry realised that although he could now speak fluent French, his reading was some what lacking, he had asked Viktor about this and had discovered that he wasn't too good at reading the language either.

"What would you like Harry?" asked Fleur brightly.

"A translation." he said embarrassed.

Fleur giggled slightly before beginning to translate the menu for him; unfortunately he seemed to forget the translation almost as soon as she had said it.

"Actually Fleur I think you'd better decide, you're a better at this than I am."

Fleur smiled at him turning to Jean who was just returning to the table and giving him the order, Harry missed most of it, while he now new French fairly well he couldn't translate quite as fast as they were speaking.

The only thing he got for certain was.

"1938 Burgundy."

As soon as Jean left Fleur turned to Harry with a curious expression on her face.

"James Evans?"

"My father's first name and my mother's maiden name."

She nodded her understanding.

"How often do you come here?" he asked as he picked up a roll.

"Every few weeks, the Delacour's are well known in both Muggle and Wizarding France, so it's expected for us to make public appearances," she took a delicate sip of water "I prefer this restaurant to many of the Wizarding ones, firstly because I am not as well recognised but mainly because they appreciate digression and considering that we are frequent and very generous customers, they always keep several isolated tables free."

Looking around Harry noticed for the first time that there was no one within about ten meters of them; he also noticed that the few men occupying the tables just outside of that distance where either glaring at him or staring at Fleur, much to their partner's annoyance.

They chatted quietly until Jean returned with the wine.

He handed Harry the cork as Fleur watched in amusement at Harry's ignorance, luckily Jean was not watching him as he was poring the wine.

Never having tasted wine, Harry was a bit suspicious; he cautiously sniffed the dark red liquid, Fleur giggled at him.

"Have you never tasted wine Arry?"

"No, the only alcohol I have ever drunk is butterbeer."

Fleur cringed in disgust.

"That drink should not even be considered alcohol, wine is a more civilised drink, and wine tasting is an art, let me show you what to do."

"Ok." he answered curiously.

"First you look at the wine, preferably against a white background," she moved her glass next to the table cloth, Harry followed suit "For red wines you want to be able so see as much colour as possible, but not so much so that it is brown because that can indicated that it is not suitable for dogs. As you can see this wine is a light red which, for a Burgundy is a good thing, indicating that it is an old wine, meaning that it should taste better. Now tilt the glass to look at the edge, what colour do you see?"

"It's.... a sort of brownish orange."

"Yes, this indicates that it is mature, if it was young it would be purple, now gently swirl the wine, as you can see this wine has a thicker body, or as you English might say 'good legs', along with a slightly higher alcohol level, now take a quick sniff as to make an initial impression, then take a nice long one."

He did as she instructed, trying hard not to think about her good legs.

"It smells....slightly spicy."

"Good, now take a small sip."

Harry did so.

"It tastes....it tastes....." he attempted, trying to find the right word.

"Go on." she encouraged.

"....expensive." he tried lamely.

She laughed gently.

"Oh Arry....we will have to refine your wine tasting skills later."

As she finished speaking the starters arrived, a plate was set in front of him, he didn't have the faintest idea what it was.

"Errr....Fleur."

"Yes Ar....James." she asked correcting herself and finishing the delicate mouthful she had just taken.

"What is this?" he asked giving it a slight prod.

" Bouillon de poule with grated black truffles."

He looked at it for a few seconds.

"The only bit I understood was grated black truffles."

She laughed again.

"Do not worry James, you will like it, trust me."

He did trust her; he just didn't trust the contents of his plate.

He very cautiously ate a mouthful, to his surprise he discovered that he quiet liked it, taking another bite; he turned his full attention to the meal.

"See." said Fleur smugly.

Two hours later Harry sat there thinking he could not eat another bite. After the Bouillon de poule and truffle, they had had roasted trance of foie gras with caramelised endives, then lobster tortellini with a herb velouté and crustacé vinaigrette, followed by pan fried fillet of St. Pierre with a light coriander nage, then the main coarse; roast saddle of lamb with sautéed salsify baby spinach and a glorious thyme sauce (which turned out to be the one thing so far on the menu that Harry understood the contents of....mostly) and finally finished with caramelised Granny Smith apple compote with natural yogurt and granité, and dark Valhrona chocolate parfait with milk ice cream.

"That was wonderful." smiled Harry, leaning back in his chair.

"I knew you would like it," she said smiling "Come let us go for a walk, I know a lovely place by the sea."

She placed a credit card on the plate containing the bill, which Jean quickly collected and then returned.

Bidding Jean farewell Fleur moved to get up, Harry almost knocked over his seat in an attempt to get to hers, causing her to giggle.

"You are already a gentleman Harry; you do not need to try to impress me."

"Sorry," he apologised getting to her chair and pulling it back for her "I just don't want to look like a fool in front of a beautiful woman."

It took him a couple of seconds for him to realise what he had said, he froze halfway through tucking her chair back in.

Fleur gave a satisfied smile, then pretended to not have heard him.

Leading him out of the restaurant they walked down a couple of streets onto the shore front, leaving only a beach between them and the sea.

"It's beautiful, is it not?" She sighed, leaning on the wall that separated the pavement from the beach.

"Oh yes."

Harry's eyes lingered on Fleur as he answered.

Looking up they could see the moon drift out from behind one of the few clouds in the night's sky, giving the sky a pleasant glow, intermixed with the twinkling of stars.

"It's such a nice night," she commented smiling "A very good night for stargazing"

"Yeah," he agreed not really listening.

His complete attention was focused on the radiant beauty beside him, leaning lightly against the wall, her silver hair blowing in the breeze, her face illuminated by the light of the moon with the sound of the rolling waves in the background.

"It is a night for lovers." she continued as she stared into the moonlit sky.

Harry came back to life at this point, realizing he had been staring he looked away bashfully, especially after the latest comment; he decided to ask something, something that had been nagging at him ever since Fleur had altered his appearance.

Fleur?" he asked shyly.

"Yes James." she said turning to him.

"Do you mind if I ask a personnel question?"

"Not at all James, after all I don't have to answer." she replied smiling at his bashfulness.

"Why did you errr....why did you and Bill errr."

"Brake up?" she finished "We both realised that we had feelings for other people."

"Oh," he responded, he hoped that had not been the answer "May I....may I ask who?"

She suddenly seemed to become nervous, which was very unusual for Fleur.

"A man I met around the same time, but I knew that he would not go out with me, he had feelings for someone else."

"Why wouldn't he want to go out with you, he would have to be mad, not to want to." said Harry not believing what she was saying.

"I think he just saw me as the image I try to create. A stuck up, arrogant, snooty, snobbish, spoiled, vain, shallow, superficial, self-absorbed, moody Veela. On top of that he was one of the few men I have met who seemed to be more interested in personality than looks," her voice changed slightly as she began to swoon "He was also very brave, courageous, loyal and very cute."

Harry could almost feel his hopes falling; it must have been Cedric, yet another person who he had hurt by being responsible for his death.

"Did you ever ask him if he wanted to go out with you?"

"No....I never got the chance to talk to him alone, I knew him well enough to realise that if I asked him and he said no, that he would not tell a soul, but he was always surrounded by friends and one of them was always staring at me, it was too nervous to interrupt them."

"You?" he asked sceptically "You have to be one of the bravest people I have ever met,"

She began to blush.

"How many others would face of against a dragon as well as a whole underwater village of sworn enemies?"

"I'm not brave Arry....but thank you for the compliment, I was just lucky with the dragon and the Merpeople, they....they"

Hers eyes began to fill with tears.

"Oh Fleur, I'm sorry," he apologized, pulling her into a hug, letting the tears run down onto his jacket. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it, please forgive me."

"It's not your fault Arry," she cries into his shoulder "It's just that....it still scares me, what could have happened....if you hadn't been there."

After several minutes she turned her face towards him, looking deep into his eyes.

Harry's breath got caught in his throat, she was mere centimetres from his face, he could feel her breath on his neck and the beat of her heart through his chest.

In one quick movement Harry pulled her towards him, their lips met as they kissed.

It was chaste, there was no tongue, none of the wetness there had been with Cho, but it was nice, very nice.

After several seconds Harry froze and pulled back, realising what he had just done.

"Fleur I....please forgive me, I didn't know what I was doing, I was on....I didn't mean....I'm sorry."

He had been backing away all through the stuttered apology and now he turned and fled.

Fleur stood there astonished, before a slow smile spread across her features.
_______________________________________________________________________

Harry came to a halt besides a building that stretched out onto a small peer.

Breathing hard he sunk against the wall; he stayed there for at least five minutes, not daring to move.

What had he done?

He had just kissed Fleur Delacour.

He had just KISSED FLEUR DELACOUR.

He had.

He had just kissed her.

His mind raced. What could he do?

Her parents would be furious; they would send him back to the Dursley's for sure, that's if they even let him live that long.

What was he going to do? They would likely turn him into a novelty hand bag.

Wait....what was that noise.
________________________________________________________________________

"Arry!....Arry!" called Fleur as she ran through the streets of the town.

She was worried, he did not know where he was, he was lost, confused and probably fearing retribution. The last thing she needed was for him to become catatonic again, especially now that she had finally got him to open up to her about his feelings.

"ARRY.....ARRY."

She ran down onto the beach, hoping that he had come that way.

"Can I help you darling." came a sour voice from behind her.

She turned to see a tall male, well over six foot in height with a bald head and a dirty appearance about him, he looked decidedly unfriendly. He was leaning against one of the wooden supports that held the small peer up.

"I do not think so." she said coldly, in no mood to deal with anyone who thought they might have a chance with her.

"Oh don't be like that." said the man, standing up, spitting out the cigarette he has been smoking "I only wanted to help you."

"I know the kind if hope you want to offer and I'm not interested." said Fleur bluntly, walking under the peer to begin searching the other side.

She got most of the way through the posts when she felt a hand clamp around her wrist.

Before she could react, she was spun around and pushed against one of the posts, her hands restrained behind it.

Fear cursed through her, she was trapped, she couldn't use her wand as her hands were restrained and for the same reason she couldn't summon fire.

Terrified, she tried to struggle, but his grip was like iron.

Fleur realised for the first time in her life that she was completely helpless, she couldn't defend herself, she began to panic as a hand slid up towards her breast.

"Please," she pleaded "Let me go."

"Oh, I'll let you go my dear," his hand took a hold of her nipple through her dress and twisted it causing her to gasp in pain "As soon as I've had my fun."

He moved his head forward to kiss her as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Get your hands of her now!"

Both looked towards the source of the voice.

Harry was standing just outside of the peer's shadow, fury evident on his face, the light of the moon and the angle of his head created shadows over his eyes giving him an air of darkness.

"Get your own girl squirt, I found her first." said the bully, evidently not threatened by the shorter teen.

"I did find her first, I'm living with her and I told you to let go of her." he repeated, his voice steady but forceful.

"Push off." repeated the bully, turning his attention back to Fleur.

He moved to kiss her again only to have a fist collide with his face.

The shock of the action caused him to release Fleur who ran to Harry, ducking behind him.

"You will pay for the boy." said the bully turning back to them, his nose covered in blood, his fingers clicking as he balled them into fists.

Harry pushed Fleur away from him, not wanting her to get hurt; he just prayed that one week of training would be enough.

Fleur watched terrified as the bully sent his left fist at Harry's head.

His Quidditch reflexes showed, allowing him to dodge down and away before the fist could connect; as he spun away he sent his own fist into the bully's stomach, causing him to bend forward.

The bully quickly recovered, the attack having been more surprise than pain and sent his right fist after Harry, catching the side of his face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Fleur gasped, still at a loss for what to do.

Harry rolled over, he could taste blood in his mouth where the fist had hit his teeth and luckily they all felt intact.

As the bully closed in Harry sent his foot upwards, catching his knees at an angle causing them to buckle sideways.

He fell to his knees but grabbed Harry by the neck just as he was getting up.

Getting back to his feet he slammed him against a support, squeezing his neck, cutting off his air flow.

As his vision went black Harry saw Fleur pounding on the bully's arm, before getting thrown to the floor several meters away.

As he began to black out the bully released him, letting him slump to the ground, before turning his attention back to Fleur.

"Your turn now bitch." said the Bully as he closed in on Fleur who was back peddling as fast as she could.

Catching her ankle, the bully pulled her back towards him, causing her to shriek. He pulled her to her feet before taking a plastic cable tie from his pocket.

Grabbing hold of both of her arms he managed to force the tie around them before pulling it tight, leaving Fleur completely defenceless.

She cried out as he slammed her against another support before reaching down and grabbing the hem of her dress that had ridden up as she was pulled back across the sand.

"Don't worry bitch, it won't hurt....much."

He managed to pull up the dress as far as her upper thighs.

"NO." Harry shouted throwing out his arm, magic resonating from his voice, sending the bully sailing through the air to land at least five meters away, unconscious.

Crying uncontrollably Fleur slid down the post, too scared and relieved to even think about the fact that her hands were still bound or that her dress had been pulled up enough so that her underwear was visible.

Harry ran to her, moving his hands to her face, running them down her cheeks.

"Are you ok?" his voice was higher, filled with anxiety and worry.

She didn't answer; instead she just threw her body at him, letting him hold her, while she cried uncontrollably.

Harry while keeping one arm firmly around Fleur moved his other to the pocket of his trousers to get his wand.

Drawing it he cast a cutting charm on the cable tie, severing it allowing her arms to move.

As soon as her hands were free she wrapped them tightly around his neck, while he did the same.

"Oh Fleur....I'm so sorry....I should never have left you....please forgive me....please forgive me." his voice was almost pleading, needing forgiveness for endangering her in that way.

They stayed huddled on the ground under the peer for at least fifteen minutes before either of them managed to speak again.

When Fleur's sobs had subsided Harry gingerly pulled back and looked at her.

Her face was white, her hair had gone frizzy and messed up and the area around each eye was red and wet with tears, they were full of fear and his heart broke seeing her like this.

He cradled her face in his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

"I am so sorry." he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Oh Arry," she gasped out, her voice shaky and weak "It's not your fault; I was the one who ran under the peer."

"Only because I ran away....I should leave the Chateau, I don't deserve to stay with people whose trust I have broken."

"What?" she whispered in confusion.

"You take me into your home, you bring me back from death, offer to train me and what's more follow me in the coming war and what do I do....I betray your trust and that of your parents by abusing our friendship and kissing you.....I should be thrown out on the street with the rest of the garbage."

"Arry," she gasped at the last line, bringing her own hands to cup his face "You are not garbage....and you did not abuse my trust, or our friendship."

"But I...."

He was cut of as he was kissed forcefully.

After a few seconds she pulled back and looked at him, observing his reaction.

Shock, fear, relief, pleasure and confusion all flicked across his face before he reached out and pulled her in for another kiss.

This time is was more passionate as they both clung to each other, neither wanting the moment to end.

After several seconds they pulled back for air, both looking flustered and excited at the same time.

Fleur reached into Harry's jacket and pulled out the portkey and pressed hers and Harry's hands to it.