Extended Family

Chapter 7: Alternative Universe: A Flower's Delight, Part 3

This starts during Harry's seventh year

To say Fleur was happy would be a gross understatement.

The past two years have been wonderful.  She grew as an educator and in her Charms work.  Flitwick continued to challenge her in all sorts of ways.  She learned so much from him and she said that her presence and efforts inspired him as well.  They jointly wrote a few papers detailing new Charms applications as well as an in-depth analysis on an existing principle.  Their work was published globally and they enjoyed speaking to other masters around the world.

She found herself truly enjoying teaching as well.  In the past, while a student at Beauxbatons, she used to not like teaching the underclass students.  In fact, she might have resented it when she was "volunteered" in tutoring them.  Yet the students at Hogwarts were oddly fun to teach.  Of course, more than a few were entranced by her allure but usually a simple wave or something broke them out of it.  Most were respectful of her and the few that were not were easily cowed by her.

Then there was Harry.

She adored being near him.  Sure, they were less amorous as she would have liked in public, just having him near was enough.  They ate together when they could and on the weekends they could visit and spend time with each other.  She got to know his friends even better and she came to consider them her own close friends.  They had gotten used to them as a couple and while Tracy made more lewd comments that Fleur eagerly enjoyed exasperating, and Hermione huffed about Harry's priorities of snogging over studying, they had no problems.

Many times she would be grading coursework or doing her own mastery work while he did homework or Head Boy duties, just content working next to one another.  They were careful to respect the guidelines they established for propriety's sake but now that he had his own private shared quarters, it was easier to visit and spend time together.

Their relationship was an open 'secret' to the school.  Of course, there were those who tried to make jokes or veiled attempts and all were handily embarrassed by her.  Flitwick gleefully made mentions of young love and pretending to be extra careful when he knocked on her office door or quarters' door.  McGonagall had the unerring knack to happen upon the couple when they walked together, something the Deputy Headmistress seemed to find disquieting with the frequency it happened.  However, she never accused them of being improper, simply making teasing remarks comparing Harry to his father.

Life, as far as Fleur was concerned, was wonderful.

-0-

Fleur set the newspaper down, trying to keep her anger in check.  "Damn them," she huffed.  "I should call them out for this!"

"Your English really has gotten better," Harry observed.  He smiled at her look, patting her hand.

She shook her head, trying to remain angry against his soothing air.  "But honestly!  Saying I seduced you with a combination of love potions and my 'beastly charm' to entice you to abandoning England.  Not to mention their so-called 'expert' tried to make our relationship as a reason to cut down on foreign trade!"

"It's just tripe," Harry said with a laugh.

"I'll make them eat their own tripe," Fleur swore.

"It is ridiculous," Luna said.  "You didn't need to seduce Harry with your allure or love potions.  He was already seduced by how loving you are."  She turned the page, missing their smiles.  "Not to mention he is already entranced by your pair of-"