“Miss Delacour, the Minister will see you now.” the pretty blonde secretary said, looking her up and down, with cold blue-green eyes, normally Fleur would ascribe such a thing to her figure, but she could see the young witch’s gaze was looking for deception and hidden charms.
Interesting.
Fleur thanked her and entered passing through an ante room with some paintings of a castle she recognized as Hogwarts.
The British Ministry of Magic’s office was more a display room than an office, a myriad of magical artifacts were strewn about its many shelves, some older than the English language, others, she noticed with amusement, looked to be someone’s first steps into enchantment.
But Fleur had a goal here, and so she turned to the Minister, who was watching her with interest.
“Miss Delacour, a pleasure to see you again.”
“Minister Dumbledore, thank you for receiving me.” Fleur let some warmth seep into her countenance, remembering simpler times, when the man behind the desk was the kind eccentric old man that came to her grandmother’s parties with-
“Of course, Lady Elena told me you bring a matter of great concern, to our whole community.”
Straight to the point then, as her grandmother had said.
“Yes, Minister, and we need your help to deal with it.” She placed her hand inside her purse and removed a folder, placing it in front of the man, who opened it and began reading, pursing his lips and his raising his eyebrows at some points.
“I see, it is as we feared, then…”
“You knew about this!?” She couldn’t contain her surprise.
Dumbledore smiled ruefully, “Most of it, yes, but these documents bring out more details, I take it, then, that you require the assistance of our chapter of the Wardens?”
Fleur nodded, this was the part she was unsure about.
“Yes, most specifically, we need you, Monsieur, regular Wizards, and Witches are simply no match-” she stopped as he raised his hand.
“I am perfectly aware of the kind of danger we are talking about, Miss Delacour, as you must know, alas, my duties to my country keep me bound, however,” he emphasized so she wouldn’t protest, “I can offer a...more than adequate replacement.
And suddenly another person was beside the desk, a high-level concealment spell being taken down. To hide from her senses, a show of skill, to assuage her, and the person…
Familiar bright green eyes looked at her, warmth, care and some embarrassment were there.
Of course, the old man put him up to it, what was it with old people and theatrics? Even her grandmother wasn’t above it.
But it was Harry, it had been eleven years since they had last seen each other, both children, she, tall and willowy, him with wobbly knees and bright smile, and an uncanny ability to get in trouble(and drag her with him), but he had changed.
He was taller than her now, and cut quite a dashing figure in the Silver Warden’s battle robes, blue and silver suited him, as did the sharp gaze of his eyes, no longer childish and open.
The roguish stubble didn’t help.
Fleur’s eyebrows rose, but she controlled herself, “Harry Potter.”
“Fleur Delacour,” her name came out of his lips with a much better accent than when they were children, often calling her Flower (or Flour), she hoped he had forgotten the nickname he had given her, one of the few French words he could pronounce with some skill at that age.
She got her focus back on the situation, they could reminisce later.
She turned to Dumbledore, who was smiling slightly, oh, she knew that smile…
“Minister, I am sure Harry is a skilled Warden, I have...heard of his exploits” guilt bubbled inside her, but she fought to bring it down, “but in this case, I must…” she bit her lip, realizing why her grandmother had that same smile when sending her here with such an absurd request, First Warden of France Elena was aware that the First Warden of Britain, who happened to be the Minister, wouldn’t leave his post to join her on her mission, instead...
“I can assure you, Warden Delacour, that Warden Potter is more than up to this task, I have trained him personally and he has some experience with the matter.”
“Some imps are not the same as…” But Harry spoke, now done with people speaking of him as if he wasn’t in the room.
“I know perfectly well the kind of Outsiders we are dealing with here, Warden Delacour, I have faced some, “Harry exchanged a glance with his mentor, before continuing, “while in school.”
Fleur’s eyebrows rose at that, they certainly hadn’t been informed of that.
“A full report shall be submitted, but the problem was dealt with, let’s just say some students of Hogwarts...what is the term…’ bit off more than they could chew’. Harry here, thankfully was able to contain the situation until the rest of us could get there, one of the many reasons he is so high in our organization at such a young age.”
Most young men would preen at the praise, but Harry just sighed lightly, and Fleur understood, him, she was perfectly aware of the kind of pressure people like them were under, for some, no matter how talented or skilled, they would always fall short. (edited)
Fleur looked Harry in the eyes, trying to focus on what she wanted to see, and not get lost in the emotions, she smiled lightly, the determination, strength, and care she saw there gave her hope, not only for their mission, but that he didn’t resent her from getting out of contact all those years ago, but still, it brought back all the what-ifs if they hadn’t, perhaps her teenage years wouldn’t have been so lonely then…
She nodded her head, both to accent and to clear her mind.
“Bon, the folder has all the information required, but we need to be in Cairo before the end of the week.”
“It is decided then, the age-old Alliance of our Chapters will be honored, Harry please help Miss Delacour with all that she requires from our installations here. I believe that is all?”
Fleur wondered if every First Warden was like that, or just Dumbledore and her grandmother.
“It is.”
“Good, Harry will escort you to the door.”
Fleur’s eyebrows rose a little, but she nodded as Harry went to her side and opened the door to the ante-room, closing it silently behind them.
“Fleur” there it was again, this voice saying her name.
She turned to look at him, and his eyes asked the same question he had vocalized so often a boy.
Her heart beat faster as she nodded.
She laughed(not giggled!) as he hugged her, marveling how he could engulf her with his body now.
“You’ve grown, ‘Arry” she felt his cheek warm as she said his name like that. (edited)
“You too, Fleur.” She regretted it, then, stopping their letters, they were children yes, and she had her studies and training and thought that she didn’t need something as childish as a friend, but after some time, she regretted it, thinking he must hate her for having abandoned him, she never tried again, never forgetting her first friend, but her life had so much going on, and now it seemed his had some of the same issues.
How she wished to go back to her ten year old self and demand she wrote back, but that wasn’t how things worked, so she sought to reconnect with him now.
“I missed you, mon ami.”
“And I you, so much.” his voice wavered a little, and she had to use a lot of her training to not let her emotions show, she had so much she wanted to tell him, and so much she wanted to ask.
“I am so, so, sorry, ‘Arry.”
“It’s okay, we are here now.”
She nodded and they pulled back from the other, she noticed his eyes were a bit shinier, and she imagine hers were too.
“We could talk more tomorrow, I know a place in Muggle London, if you are up for it.”
She had never seen this roguish smile on him, it suited him, and she found herself nodding, trying to fight down the blush in her face.
“Sure, where do we meet?”
“The Leaky Cauldron, at 11?”
“It’s settled then...it was, very nice seeing again, ‘Arry.”
She turned to leave, seeing his reaction at the way she said her name.
“The same for me, Mon Ange.”
Her eyes, widened, and she left quickly her face flushed.
He did remember.
She missed the soft smile on Harry’s face and the narrowed eyes of the "secretary".