Modern, non-magic, circus AU. Harry Potter and Fleur Delacour live, travel and perform with the Fawkes Travelling Circus as flying trapeze artists. They are considered one of the best duos in modern times.
And as a few years passed, Harry began to develop feelings for the French beauty.
But, after Fleur asked for some time to think, and not knowing what to think of his confession, Harry became distracted.
And distractions, as his old mentor Remus Lupin told him, could be deadly.
The next day they have their biggest show yet, with promoters coming from all around the world to see if the small, family-run circus was ready for the big time. Fleur tried to ease the tension between her and Harry, but he didn’t want to talk to her. Instead thinking over the failed confession in his head over and over.
And, as they were executing their most daring feat yet, Harry was distracted…
...and dropped her.
It was only because of the old ringmaster’s demand for a net for the life-threatening routine that saved Fleur’s life.
Feeling like he was to blame for nearly killing the woman he had secretly loved for years, and not being able to bear seeing her in a wheelchair, Harry quit the trapeze altogether while remaining with the circus doing another act as it was his only means of income and his first home.
Years later, Fleur is just now coming out of recovery and physical rehab, returning to the circus and learning that Harry had given up on his dream because of her. So she decides to do something about it.
Fleur returns to the circus to a welcome back party thrown by her found family… only Harry is absent. She asks around the circus and learns that he is now a shell of his former self. No longer a ray of life and hope, but a depressed man who spends more time drinking than practicing his new daredevil routine. A decision that she realizes is putting not only his body, but his life at risk.
And he doesn’t seem to care.
She goes to him, telling him that she does not blame him for her injury, and that she is sorry for refusing to talk about his confession at the time. And that she has since learned how much she cares for him after the years in hospital and rehab.
She foolishly expects him to change back to who he used to be, and becomes heartbroken when he tells her that he honestly doesn't care if he dies during an act anymore, that it would be what he deserves for nearly killing her.
Heartbroken and anguished, she goes to his old mentor Lupin to figure out a way to help Harry.
He suggests the only way for Harry to return to who he used to be is to get him on the trapeze with her again. So she decides to do just that.
Even if she could barely walk, she would get back into shape enough to help him.
Anything for him.
She trains for months to get back into performance condition, nearly giving up because of the pain, but refuses. Knowing that this was the only way to help Harry.
The time comes that she is ready to perform again, and she tells Harry just that. He is against the idea, saying that she isn’t strong enough to do it on her own.
So she asks him to fly with her again
He initially refuses, saying he doesn’t trust himself anymore.
She cups his cheek with her hand, telling him that she’s always trusted him to be there to catch her. And that she would never want to fly with anyone else.
So, with tears in his eyes, he agrees to fly with her one last time.
[If I were writing this, I’d end it right after their performance. Maybe with a short few sentences acting as an epilogue or something. But, as always, feel free to alter it any way you wish!]