i. BOUNTY fleur delacour

16

SIXTEEN

" it's a risk,
so's everything else,
and we'll only live once. "
- e.m. forster [maurice]

THE GOWN was big. it was stop the music, all eyes on mari big. it was exactly the type of effect karkaroff would be wishing for.
   inspired by the victorian era of gowns, but designed to align with the modern day, the grey dress fitted comfortably around mari's torso, lace and brown fabric flowers blooming across her chest, stomach and shoulders. from the almost non-existent curve of her waist, the dress exploded in neat and voluminous tulle. ingrid had put a makeup product known as 'highlighter' on mari's exposed and prominent collar bones, emphasising her petite top half. the product had also been applied to her nose and cheekbones, along with rosy blusher and lightly-applied deep red eyeshadow in the corners and water lines of her eyes. her hair had been expertly braid, fashionably loose down her back, with flowers of red, brown and white weaved through the tresses.
   mari felt oddly feminine, a change to her usual boots and thick sweaters. she felt like something fleur delacour might approve of.

lee was waiting outside of the durmstrang boat when mari emerged. he was wearing nice-fitting plain black dress robes, a simple type of elegance. when he saw her, his eyes only momentarily flicked up and down her before he settled with a large grin on his face.
"how did i get so lucky?" he said, his lip quivering.
"i could ask myself the same thing," mari replied, "you look wonderful."
"as do you." mari had cloaked herself with scarlet dress robes that buttoned up in the front, covering her torso, but spread along the coat of her dress to expose the magnificent grey.
lee held his arm out, "shall we?"

☇ ☇ ☇

one of harry potter's best friends was accompanying viktor krum, and immediately, seeing how he looked at her in awe, mari felt a wave of forgiveness. hermione, harry's friend seemed timid next to mari, and so to assure her, the latter smiled gently at her.
"mari," cedric has come to stand next to her, "this is cho."
mari held her hand out to the girl, "mari, nice to meet you!" they smiled at each other. the norwegian was about to ask what 'house' she was in at hogwarts, when a familiar feeling pulsed through her hand. she turned around to face fleur, who had touched her lightly.
"hi," she breathed, eyes locking on her face. neither of them looked anywhere but each other's eyes, neither of them looked at each other's decorated bodies.
"i-"
"champions! over here, please," called one of hogwarts' professors, one of the two who had taken interest in mari the night she had been selected. the group assembled together, chatting lightly among themselves until the hallway was empty and all aside the champions were seated in the venue. at the direction of the professor, minerva mcgonagall, mari believed, the champions lined up with their partners. lee hooked a bulky arm through mari's own and looked at her, eyes level. lee was a fairly average height, noticeably taller than mari, but not obviously. he had stocky build, his arms and legs coated in strands of muscle, his dreadlocked hair fell just below his ears. his thick nose scrunched up when he smiled, exposing white, neat teeth. mari blushed —his smiles always got her.
   through many tables of applauding people the champions walked, until they came to stand in front of a round table seating the judges. the room was heavily decorated, like a winter wonderland, and a large moon shown through the windows, breathtaking. karkaroff was seated at the table, looking upon viktor and hermione, who were seated not far from the champions, with mild displeasure. when his eyes landed on mari, his face softened and he beamed. his smile suggested pride, but his eyes took mari hungrily. she felt the immense need to cover every inch of her skin.
   mari and lee sat next to ludo bagman, who had enthusiastically invited them to sit beside him. on a close table behind mari, viktor sat with his back towards her, talking about durmstrang with hermione. influenced, mari struck a conversation with lee.
   "your grounds are so pleasant, we have lovely exterior at durmstrang, but it seems to always be covered in snow! the lakes and mountains do seem magical, though, when frozen with glistening cold." lee looked at her with wide eyes, taking in every word.
   "it sounds wonderful—"
   "now, now, mari. don't go telling all our secrets, one might know how to find durmstrang with your useless rambling."
   dumbledore looked deceivingly perplexed. "igor, all this secrecy... one would almost think you didn't want visitors."
   mari scoffed, catching the eye of a glowing dumbledore. karkaroff glared at her, "well, dumbledore, we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us?" mari wondered if these 'halls of learning' included the branded evil stuck upon durmstrang stone by a dark wizard many years ago. "are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"
   dumbledore laughed and launched into a very odd story about chamber pots. mari looked to fleur, who was gloating about her school, and slamming hogwarts. mari knew fleur was nice, but wished she would seem less rude for others.
   after everyone had eaten, the tables were cleared and moved, and all began to dance. mari and lee danced for many songs, until flushed from activity, they sat down.

☇ ☇ ☇

there were people. so many people. young boys and girls touching and intertwining as if their bodies had melted together hopelessly under the dim light of the stars. dresses and robes of extraordinary fabrics, glistening and reflecting the long forgotten moon. there were colours — too many colours— one could not have hoped to have captured them all. they swelled like a ripening rainbow fruit in the dull-stoned room. On the brink of twilight, the hall had smelt of musky candy and clouded sweet perfume, but the dancing bodies and intoxicating food had left a lingering scent of perspiration and old kitchen cupboards wafting in the air.
   mari's hands were lay flat against the soft table cloth, she felt the tight weave of thin fabric stir underneath her fingertips. the boy she was coming to think she might fall in love with sat across from her, looking into her distracted eyes as if they held the oxygen he needed to breath. mari should have been conversing with him, enjoying her night, but her love for him was faded within her perplexed heart, and her only peace was the table cloth. the cloth was the colour of Her dress, light blue, as if it had been sewn from the sky, and she longed to look for this in the crowd; to see Her twirling figure move through the mass as if She were made of a substance lighter than air.
   mari did not dare to look when every flushed face in the room did, she waited until the sprinting music shuddered its last breath and the air was filled with the sweet melody of strings. when she did look, when her bright eyes found Her's, it was not only the music that slowed. mari's heart settled comfortably, the light became satisfyingly peaceful and Her dress swayed with less speed than before. She was standing, looking at mari. far away, She was, but so clearly could Her fresh scent be smelled, and mari longed more than anything to rest her head on Her chest and inhale that of which she had become so accustomed to. mari would not dare speak of what she felt, but her actions felt no restraint. she excused herself from the table.
   She saw her coming, and so She stood in complete stillness in the middle of a sea of chaos. the lights dimmed around mari and lay only on Her pale hair, and reflected only off of her high cheekbones and upturned nose.
   fleur.
   as mari neared, fleur towered over her; protector, superior angel. mari curtsied and held out her hand, so small, but covered in calluses -such a contrast from the fluid, translucent fingers fleur held with such grace. they said no words, they need not too. it was always unspoken, an agreement of peaceful sound, a silent devotion. they held hands for a moment, and mari became mesmerized in fleur's swollen lips, plush from the heat of movement. she listened to her shaking breath and took it as her own, forever entangling their souls. they began to dance.
  the room no longer existed, only the innocent spaces in which they danced across, but even then, there was an immense feeling of blissful nothingness. she had felt her dress against her fingers, so soft in comparison to the table cloth --mari fell heavy into the feeling of it. their hands began to swirl, heads dipping and swaying like oblivious petals in a brook.
  the music peaked, the songful sound of musical strings elevated in volume, and with it, mari's strength and confidence. she her hands onto fleur's waist, feeling the firm fabric of the corset that clung stiffly to her figure. she lifted her above her head, and admired her jawline as she smiled and breathed in delight. mari let the smell of her fluttering dress swell under her nose. As she pulled her down, their breath became deep and understanding. mari held fleur against her chest, breast to breast, looking into her crystal blue eyes, for they held the world.
  fleur spoke with soft exasperation, her breath flew against mari's cheek, "forgive me," she said, "forgive me, for if this is love, i shall feel nothing else. we are bound now, for the eternity that lay before me, and nothing in this world should change that."
   she fled as her words left her mouth.
   flowers bloomed in her absence, and like a spotlight had moved onto her, mari suddenly felt the beating of hot lights burning her flushed cheeks. She spoke, then, through tight lips, "yes, yes... forgive me, for like alexander and hephaestion, you are me, and i am you. we share everything now, and we truly shall truly feel nothing else." her words fell to no one, but they travelled through the thick air with such substance mari knew that they would kiss fleur's ears, and she would know of the love she had left her in.

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