Regrets.
There are moments, precipices really, where your world irrevocably changes no matter your decision.
Harry was about to face one such moment. The moment where the world simultaneously bursts with color and fade to a dull gray. He's in love. With Fleur Delacour. His best friend. The most beautiful, arrogant, kind hearted, sweets loving woman he's ever known.
No moment with her can ever be the same. Every time he sees her smile. Hears her laugh. Hugs her. Feels the closeness of the gazillion ways they get along. If he says nothing those moments will be tortuous. If he speaks up, he may never experience them again.
Harry doesn't know if he could live without them. It's been many, many long years and the mere thought of not leaning on Fleur Delacour drains color from his vision, his very essence.
Graceful as ever, she appears, freed from the flames of the Floo. Harry isn't ready.
He never will be.
"Fleur, I--I need to say something."
Extension by Arnie1701
Best Friends
Fleur Delacour stepped through the floo; graceful as ever, unlike the man she was going to see. She had always found it amusing that Harry Potter could never quite get the hang of magical travel. There are moments in one's life that could change it irrevocably and this was one of them. She knew it would; the moment she realized one, inescapable truth: she was in love with her best friend.
Fleur loved everything about Harry Potter: from his messy mop of black hair, to his adorable round glasses and his amazing emerald green eyes. But mostly; Fleur realized, she loved his kindness, his courage, and that he gave of himself and expected nothing in return.
Fleur was terrified of admitting her feelings to the man she loved, afraid of everything going wrong if she told him how she felt.
The moment she saw Harry; Fleur was almost ready to turn back and floo home when she heard him speak…
"Fleur, I -- I need to say something," Harry spoke with a tremble to his voice…
"As do I," Fleur replied…
Than they spoke:
"I love you…"
"I love you…"
Extension by Manrann
“I love you...”
“I love you...”
The pair blinked in concert, both pairs of eyes, piercing emerald and vivid cerulean, widening as they finally processed what the other had said.
Harry choked on his tongue, his face burning, as Fleur hid her face in her hands, her blush atomic.
“Do… do you mean that?” Fleur muttered, peeking from between her fingers, her eyes glittering with hope.
Harry smiled warmly, reaching out to grasp her hands, gently prying them away from her face. His eyes met hers as he replied earnestly, “I… I’m pretty sure I do. I..I love you, Fleur Delacour.”
She smiled, so bright and happy, tears of joy prickling at her eyes, as she nodded, “I love you too, mon cheri.”
The world seemed to blur for the pair, as they gently approached. All each saw was the other, smiling in joy, blush still staining their cheeks.
Their lips met, and it was like lightning and wildfire, tempered by warmth, as both Harry and Fleur tried to pour all their feelings, all their love, into the simple contact.
They split, panting, their foreheads resting against each other as they blushed harder, wrapped in an aura of love and care and comfort.
Humorous Addition by Manrann
Their lips inched closer once more..
“Fucking Finally!” a loud voice interjected, startling the pair. They jerked apart, blinking, bewildered, as they took in their surroundings.
Or rather, the people surrounding them.
“Ronald!” Hermione scolded, smacking the gangly redhead on the shoulder, before smiling at the pair, “Ignore him. It was a beautiful sight, to see you two realise your feelings for each other.”
“You cant deny its about fucking time, Hermione,” Ginny exclaimed, shooting a smile at Fleur and Harry, “You two spent so long dancing around each other, unable to admit what you had.”
“Neville was considering telling you two to kiss already,” Luna said, her smile dreamy.
Neville buried his head in his hands, grumbling as the others in the room congratulated the blushing pair.