New Year's Eve bore down on Grimmauld Place with a speed belying Harry's excitement. He had expected the intervening week between Christmas and the New Year's party to drag on, but between his stressful visit to Jacobson and nightly notes to Fleur, the holiday descended upon them before they were ready.
So it was that the living room sat bare and undecorated, while Harry fretted about the food that Kreacher prepared with many grumbled curses. It wasn't as though it looked bad, or tasted wrong.
He just…would have felt better if he had been able to make it himself.
Instead, Sirius had carted him upstairs to pick out an outfit. Apparently, he needed one that 'wasn't too much, but nothing that seems like it'd be worn in the day to day life.' He assured Sirius that he could handle picking out his clothes for a party, then did his best to usher his godfather from his room.
After all the fuss, they were ready a full hour before the guests were supposed to start showing up. Sirius had taken to pacing between the kitchen and living room, where the remnants of the Yule log cast long flickering shadows across the floor. Harry's stretched so far that his shadowed head rested on the wall, when it wasn't being obscured by Sirius.
It was the tenth pass when he finally snapped.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, his question making Sirius jump.
"I…suppose it is pretty obvious, isn't it?" Sirius asked, licking his lips. "I couldn't tell you the last time this house hosted a party."
"You're this nervous about a party?" Harry asked, surprised to find himself the level headed one about a bunch of people being crowded close to him, even if some of them were people he liked.
"No…a little bit." Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I sorta…invited Narcissa. Andromeda too."
Harry hesitated, thinking back to the little he knew of Malfoy's mum.
"They don't get along, right?"
Sirius barked out something that might have been meant to be a laugh.
"To put it mildly. But Cissy has been trying. Downright cordial at times, which is her version of a big hug."
"I guess…if you think it's a good idea."
"It's an idea," Sirius said, glancing up to the clock on the wall. "I keep thinking about something Jacobson said, mixed with the fact that it wasn't until she met Lucius that she became so unbearable. With Bellatrix off…well, I thought it might be nice to, er…break the cycle, as it were. Try and be a proper, if slightly strange, family."
Harry could only nod. He certainly felt more at home with his godfather and his girlfriend's family than he ever did with his actual relatives.
The thought made his eyes go wide. How long had it been since he'd thought of the Dursleys? Had they had their usual Christmas of too-many gifts for Dudley?
Were they in prison yet?
He made a mental note to ask Sirius later, when his godfather wasn't pulling his hair out. He suspected even one more stressor might cause the older man to combust.
The torment of anticipation finally broke when the yule log flared green and Hermione stepped out of the sudden torrent of flames. Once through, she turned around and stuck her head through the flames.
"I made it, Mrs. Weasley! Thank you!" There was a slight pause and Harry saw her shake her head. "Yes, Ron," she said through a sigh. "I'll be sure to tell him."
She popped out of the fire and turned around. Her eyes went wide when greeted by the mostly empty room, and she gave a tug on a comfortable-looking jumper that was only a few shades darker than the fading green flames behind her.
"I'm the first one here?" she asked, leaning forward to peer into the kitchen.
"You are about ten minutes early," Harry said, pointing to the clock.
"Between Mrs. Weasley fawning over my outfit and Fred and George trying to charm my pants to a hot pink, I thought it might be best to come on over." She paused, then looked over to where Sirius was standing a few paces behind Harry. "Go on then, Harry. Introduce us."
"Er…" he managed, looking over to see a wan smile on Sirius's face. Sirius was more nervous than he was. It seemed almost laughable that the ex-con would be so high-strung for a simple party. Or it would be, if Harry didn't understand the sentiment.
"Right. I guess you two haven't met properly, have you?" He held a hand out towards his godfather. "Hermione, this is Sirius. Sirius, Hermione."
Once they had exchanged proper pleasantries, Hermione turned to Harry. "According to Ron, I'm supposed to tell you that; 'You're a huge prat for having a party full of Veela just so I can't come.'"
Harry laughed and shook his head, though the joke did revitalize a problem he had yet to find a solution to. He couldn't keep stuffing Fleur under an invisibility cloak just so she could be around one of his best friends, while at the same time, he couldn't exclude his girlfriend from such a large part of his life just because Ron was sensitive to her allure. It was a problem he'd thought of often in his idle moments at his godfather's house and had yet to come up with any sort of solution.
Hermione would probably have an idea. She and Fleur were becoming friends so she'd probably be happy to help.
She'd probably want to know that he and Fleur were dating.
Did Fleur want her to know they were dating?
Before he could fret much longer, the floo flared again, this time producing a middle-aged woman with light brown hair and a much younger woman with bright pink hair.
"Andy!" Sirius said, far too exuberantly. He held his arms open for a hug that went unrequited and the woman narrowed her eyes.
"It's been years, Sirius," she said, brows wrinkling in a frown, "but I recognize that tone. Not to mention…"
"Uh-oh," the younger witch muttered, stepping carefully over to where Harry and Hermione stood to the side.
"Why-did-it-take-you-four-months?!" Andromeda said, each word punctuated by a swat on Sirius's arm. "Four months without an invitation and then you greet me like you've been caught sneaking out after dark."
"I'm sorry!" Sirius said, holding a hand up to ward off her attacks. "It's hard to get back into the swing of things. And I'll tell you what's going on here in a minute. I should introduce you first."
Propriety seemed to gather Andromeda's ire and bind it, if only temporarily. She turned to Harry with an open smile.
"You must be Harry," she said, offering her hand to shake. "I'm Andromeda Tonks. Sirius's cousin, and Nymphadora's mother."
"Tonks will do just fine," the younger woman said, her hair flashing a vibrant shade of black before reverting to its original pink.
"You're a metamorphmagus," Hermione breathed, her eyes wide.
"I am?" Tonks said with a laugh, growing a few inches in the process. "Huh. I suppose so."
"It's nice to meet you, Ma'am," Harry said over Hermione's audible interest. "I'm Harry, and this is Hermione Granger, one of my friends."
Hermione snapped away from staring at Tonks, who had started making her ears grow in slight increments.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Tonks," she said, keeping an eye on Tonks' now bulbous nose.
"You three have fun," Andromeda said with a smile. "I need to go badger Sirius to figure out what's got him wound so tight."
Harry nodded, both nervous for his godfather, and happy he wasn't going to be on the receiving end of that oncoming interrogation. The adults moved to the kitchen, with the exception of Tonks, who looked more like an elephant than someone in her twenties.
Harry partially listened while Hermione launched into her plethora of questions, all answered somewhat jokingly by a now-normal Tonks, save for the vivid pink hair. He was about to interject with a question of his own when the fireplace flared again and produced the person he had been longing to see.
Fleur stepped from the flames with her long hair trailing behind her, her ribbon tied in a bow that rested loosely on the side of her head. Instead of the lavender he had grown accustomed to seeing, it was a sunny yellow that matched her dress. She caught his eye and took a step forward before stiffening in surprise.
"Tonks?"
"Floor?"
Fleur pursed her lips then took a step closer to Harry. Hermione had stopped her questions and was staring intently between the two older women. Tonks looked between Fleur and Harry before a downright gleeful grin split her face.
"I knew it."
Fleur flushed crimson which just made Tonks laugh.
"I'm going to go get some food. Answering all those questions made me hungry."
Hermione jerked guiltily. "I'm sorry. It's just really exciting to meet someone who has abilities like yours. The magical world has such fascinating people in it."
"I don't mind," Tonks said with a shrug. "Better than the usual requests for demonstrations. Come on, let's give these two a moment."
Hermione glanced over to Harry, perplexed, and followed Tonks into the kitchen.
"Floor?" Harry asked.
To his surprise, Fleur blushed an even deeper red.
"We work in the same department. On my first day, I was so nervous that I poked fun at the way she pronounced my name. She has made it a point to say it the same way ever since."
"At least you made a friend."
"'Friend' is a strong word," Fleur said, staring towards the kitchen. "She is…persistent, but crass. It is difficult for me to understand what she wants."
Harry nodded, then frowned. "What was it she knew?"
At this, Fleur let out a mirthless laugh. "She noticed that I had not been accepting any of the offers I had received for dates since I started interning. It became a bit of a game for her to ask questions and try to guess who I was interested in."
"And she guessed…me?"
"Of the few questions I answered about the Triwizard Tournament, you featured often. At first, she assumed it was Cedric."
Harry nodded. "That makes sense."
"I will pretend I did not hear that. Now, I see you have not told Hermione about us."
"She only just got here. Besides…I didn't know if you wanted me to tell people."
Fleur frowned deeply, tearing her gaze from the kitchen to pin him in place. She leaned close, her nose almost touching his. "You had better not be thinking that I am anything less than thrilled to be seen together with you."
Lightning flashed in sky-blue eyes, leaving him speechless. So he nodded.
"Good."
Hermione emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of food. She stopped when she found Harry and Fleur so close together.
"Erm-" Harry tried, faltering at Hermione's wide eyes.
"We are together now," Fleur said over him, lacing her fingers through his. He glanced over at her, surprised to find her ribbon no longer yellow, but a deep possessive crimson.
"Since when?" Hermione asked, breaking free of her stupor and rushing up to them. "Oh, this is so exciting! I thought maybe…but I wasn't sure, and didn't want to ask."
"Since Christmas Eve," Fleur answered. "He was very sweet."
Harry felt his face burn as Hermione grinned fondly at him. "I'm surprised he made a move so quickly."
Fleur's smile grew and her ribbon shifted to bright pink. The shifting color caught her attention and she pulled out her wand and tapped it, shifting it back to yellow.
"Actually, I was the one who made the move," she explained.
Hermione stared at the ribbon for a moment, then smiled. "I suppose that makes more sense. I am not entirely surprised it happened, though I am surprised it happened so soon."
"Everybody keeps saying that," Harry griped. Surely as one of the two people in question, he'd have noticed if they were likely to start dating. He had hoped, of course, deep down. But he had never expected.
"Of course I thought it was a possibility, Harry," Hermione said. "You've been preoccupied with her since you saw her at the World Cup."
"Have you?" Fleur asked, a look of mock-innocence plastered across her features.
"I haven't-I mean…maybe?"
Would it be considered rude to hide from your party guests?
Before Fleur could press him for answers, Andromeda stormed out of the kitchen, Sirius and Tonks trailing behind.
"Absolutely not, Sirius! How dare you! She and her ilk would have killed my husband and daughter in the first war. You expect me to forget all that?"
"She's not one of them," Sirius said, placing a careful hand on Andromeda's wrist as she grabbed a fistful of floo powder. Tonks stood near the kitchen doorway, her hair a faded brown. "I've seen her arms, Andy. She doesn't have the mark. That was all Lucius'. She stuck around to take care of Draco."
Mention of the youngest Malfoy piqued Harry's interest even higher. He had been notably absent from Hogwarts and nobody had been able to say why.
"A likely story. Next, you'll be telling me Bellatrix is coming by for lunch."
"Narcissa isn't Bellatrix and you know it," Sirius snapped. "We're all that's left, Andy. Centuries of dark magic and hatred has somehow ended with us."
"I'm not a Black anymore," Andromeda hissed. "In case you have forgotten."
"And when I'm reinstated, I can change that," Sirius said, the plea evident in his voice. The lines of a much older man creased his face as he begged. "Please, Andy. Nobody is saying you have to sit here and play nice or pretend to be best friends. I'm not even sure she's telling the truth, but…what if she is?"
Andromeda's fist tightened around the floo powder and Sirius let go of her wrist. She trembled in place, the muscles of her jaw flexing as she stared unblinking at Sirius.
"And what if she's not?"
"Then…at least we tried," Sirius all but whispered. "An opportunity neither of us was given."
Andromeda didn't speak for a moment and Harry didn't dare to even breathe. The kindly visage he had been greeted with was gone, replaced by fury and steel as she glared at Sirius.
Green powder fell back into the container on the mantle and tension bled from Sirius, though Andromeda had not stopped glaring at him.
"The very moment she makes anything approximating an uncouth comment, I am leaving. If I don't curse her first."
Sirius blew out a breath and nodded. "If she's got the poor sense to say something like that, I'll even help you. Besides," he added, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, "we've got an Auror. One of Moody's too. I'm sure we could make quick work of her."
Tonks jumped at the sudden attention and plastered on a weak smile.
"Come on," Sirius said with a forced smile, gesturing Andromeda away from the fireplace. "Let's get some food before the other guests arrive. I didn't invite only estranged family members. I think you'll like the Delacours."
Harry blew out a shaky breath and tried not to let it show that his heart felt as though it would break free of his chest. It was meant to be a party, a celebration. He didn't want to bring it down even further by falling apart just because of an argument he had nothing to do with.
He felt a warmth against his side as Fleur sidled closer so her arm was touching his. She squeezed his hand and offered him a gentle smile, her head tilted to the side.
XxX
"You look fine," Sebastian said, placing his hands on his wife's warm shoulders and steering her away from the ornate mirror that hung on their bedroom wall. "Though, Fleur did say this was going to be an informal affair, ma chérie."
"This is informal," Apolline muttered, looking down at the long purple dress that clung to every curve. "Well…perhaps not." She spun around. "Would you unzip me, please?"
"Gladly."
She laughed lightly as the dress fell to the floor and she stepped over to the first set of clothes she had deemed far too casual.
"I just don't want to look out of place," she said, pulling on the comfortable blouse while ignoring her husband's joking frown.
"I'm not sure I've seen Sirius or Harry in anything more formal than a button-up. And you know how Fleur is about fancy clothes, she's likely to show up in a jumper and pajamas."
Apolline tutted as she pulled on her trousers. "She likes fancy clothes quite a lot, it's the attention she doesn't care for. In a space where she's comfortable and free from the attentions of the Veela charm? I expect we'll arrive finding she looks dazzling."
"Either way, you shouldn't worry too much about it," he said. "What I would worry about, however, is being late."
"I know. I'm sorry," she said, stepping forward and rising up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. "I'm just nervous."
"I know, but it's Sirius, Harry, and a few other people. You've done amazing at the Ministry functions, so I expect you'll be just fine with a few friends."
"You're right, Mon Chéri. Let's go see if Gabrielle is ready."
They found her curled up on a couch in the sitting room, the fifth book in her new series open in her lap. True to recent form, she had dressed in a simple dark green jumper and loose comfortable trousers.
"Are you ready to go?" Sebastian asked, grabbing a handful of floo powder from the mantle.
Gabrielle only nodded, dog-earing her book and standing.
"Leave the book here," Apolline said, pointing to where Gabrielle had been trying to slide it into a large pocket on her jumper.
"But it's going to be a party full of people I don't know," she said, tossing the book down on the seat next to her.
"You'll know Harry and your sister," Apolline said. "And us."
"The new couple and my parents. Hooray."
Apolline suppressed the desire to snap at her daughter. She had been…harsh…during Fleur's foray into puberty, and it had opened a schism that had yet to fully heal. Gabrielle was more introspective than her sister, but her daughters were far more alike than they were different.
"How about this," she said instead. "You don't have to stay the whole time if you don't want to. You can come home right after midnight if you want to do so."
Gabrielle nodded with a small smile and a knot unclenched in Apolline's chest.
Sebastian handed them each some floo powder, then tossed his handful into the flames and stepped inside.
"Number Twelve Grimmauld Place!"
Moments later, they stepped into a dark, sparse living room. The room's only occupant smiled at them, a toothy smile below curious brown eyes.
"You must be Fleur's family," the girl said, setting an empty plate on a nearby table and stepping forward. "Everybody else is in the kitchen getting food. I'm Hermione Granger."
"It's nice to meet you, Hermione," Sebastian said. "Your reputation precedes you. I am Sebastian, this is my wife Apolline, and my youngest daughter, Gabrielle."
Hermione faltered as he spoke, a slight frown crossing her features.
"My…reputation?" she asked. "Did Harry mention me?"
"Your headmaster, actually," he said, grinning at the flabbergasted look she gave him. "I've been working closely with him lately and he's had some rather complimentary things to say about you."
"O-oh…well-"
Their conversation was cut short by Harry walking into the room, followed closely by Fleur. When he caught sight of them, he called to Sirius that they had arrived, and gave them a friendly wave.
XxX
It wasn't until closer to midnight, after the party had settled into comfortable familiarity, that Narcissa finally made her appearance. She arrived with timid steps, which was entirely incongruous with the image Harry had built in his mind of the woman. Voluminous blond hair fell down past her shoulders and might have been noteworthy, had she not entered a room with three Veela. She wore a modest dress of deep blue and impeccable makeup painted delicately across her eyes and lips
Despite the obvious care she had taken to look presentable, she clutched her hands in front of herself as she entered the bustling room right as Tonks was mid-impersonation of Mad-Eye Moody.
Harry wasn't given the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Malfoy, though he wasn't sure he minded. Sirius ushered his cousin into the kitchen without introductions to the Delacours, Andromeda following close behind.
"I do not envy Sirius," Fleur whispered, her sudden voice shocking Harry from his anxious stupor.
"Me either."
Conversation restarted slowly, with Hermione and Gabrielle sharing their favorite book series and theories on how they might be changed for the better. Apolline spoke with Tonks who, despite her supposed familiarity with Fleur, looked rigid beneath the older woman's scrutiny. Sebastian stood on his own, smiling at the small group, a small glass of water in hand.
Chatter had faltered and started again by the time the others rejoined the group, just a few minutes shy of New Year's Day. Harry could see the tension in Sirius's eyes and the way he licked his lips, but his godfather still smiled as they rejoined the rest of the party. Andromeda and Narcissa seemed determined to pretend the other didn't exist, though neither fled through the floo.
Sebastian nodded to Sirius, then stepped forward to strike up a conversation with Narcissa, the words 'Wizengamot' and 'Bylaws' floating over to where Harry stood with Fleur.
His girlfriend had grown tired as the evening wore on and had taken to simply standing next to him, snagging his hand every time she noticed she had let it fall to his side. He had offered her a seat, but she had shaken her head, saying it would be difficult to be close to him without being improper were she sitting down.
And so Harry was grinning as the last minutes of one of his most transformative years slipped away. The year before, he had been lying awake in bed, replaying the Yule Ball in his mind. The way her dress had clung to her and the calming smile that had relaxed him even while being watched by their peers. He had reminisced on sincere sky-blue eyes and the flickering candlelight on her hair.
Now she stood next to him, warm hand in his, silvery hair tied back with a gift that had meant so much more than it should have. He stared at her and discovered that he wanted to run his hands through the shimmering length he had admired for so long.
Was it as silken as it looked? Did it too radiate the perpetual warmth he had already come to crave?
She shifted, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
"I am sorry to say you will have a difficult time staring without me being aware of it," she whispered with a slight smile. "Not that I mind, but your emotions give you away."
"You didn't notice all the other times," he groused before feeling his face flush.
Her smile grew. "Oh, I most certainly did. I simply chose not to say anything."
He spluttered for a moment before Sirius inadvertently rescued him by clearing his throat for attention.
"I probably should have prepared something ahead of time," Sirius said, looking over at the clock on the wall. "But on the upside, you won't have to listen to me rattle on for long."
Everybody turned to look at Sirius, though it was a tense fragile silence that allowed his words to be heard. Andromeda had taken up residence near the kitchen, arms folded across her chest as she stared unblinking at Sirius. Narcissa hadn't dared to let go of the lifeline that had been political discussions with Sebastian and stood next to him, her eyes down on her drink.
Sirius cleared his throat again, scanning the room.
"I know there aren't many of us here tonight, but it's more than the old house has seen in ages. Thank you all for coming to my first, admittedly poorly planned party." He glanced up at the clock, eyes widening when he found the hands about to shift to midnight. "Anyway, to friends and to family, old and new. Happy New Year!"
On cue, the clock ticked over and chimed the first stroke of the new year. Apolline stepped over from where she had been talking to Tonks and stood on tiptoes to plant a tender kiss on Sebastian's cheek.
Harry jumped when soft lips brushed his cheek and her breathy giggle ran across his ear, making him shiver.
"Happy New Year, 'Arry," she said when he turned to look at her.
How it was he didn't turn into a stuttering lunatic whenever he looked into her eyes or imagined her perfect lips on his, he'd never know. What he did know, was that he didn't want to let go of the incredible feelings she brought out in him.
The memory of a resolution while flying in a storm surfaced alongside a long inhale.
Yes, for as long as she would have him, he would be who she needed him to be.
He would be as close as he could be to the person she deserved.
He stared into the depths of her captivating gaze and smiled.
"Happy New Year, Fleur."
XxX
"Barty's plan is…acceptable."
Narcissa kept her eyes on the stone floor in front of her, the warmth of the fire behind her creeping up to uncomfortable levels. She knelt in front of the Dark Lord, head bowed to show proper deference. He made it a point to treat the unmarked as lessers, no matter how useful they are.
She kept her face impassive against the frown that attempted to pull at her lips. Her knee ached as it dug into a small chipped section of the floor; an odd little reminder she had convinced Lucius to keep of Draco's first bout of accidental magic. Not that it had taken much convincing. Her husband had been overjoyed when little toddler Draco sent a broken toy hurtling across the room to embed itself in the far wall.
She forced the sentiment away. It was dangerous to be unfocused in front of the Dark Lord, but she had been off-kilter since that travesty of a New-Years party. She had expected to only need to work a bit more at wheedling her way into Sirius's life. She hadn't expected to come face-to-face with her estranged sister.
"It is not ideal," the Dark Lord continued, thankfully unaware of her wandering thoughts, "but I doubt we will find another opportunity without squandering the preparation we've done. Dumbledore's upcoming attempt to force the Ministry to declare war is fortuitous. It has consumed his attention of late, allowing us to install another near to a vital position."
He stopped talking, though she knew better than to say anything. He had not asked a question.
"Barty continues to do credit to himself, while you do…what? Go to family parties?" the Dark Lord sneered, raising the small hairs on the back of her neck.
"Yes, my Lord. I have maneuvered myself in such a way that Sirius now vouches for me. He played intermediary between me and my sister."
"A touching reunion, I am sure."
"I also made contact with both Harry Potter and Sebastian Delacour, the French Ambassador."
"One of Dumbledore's overseas peons," Voldemort snapped. "Unless he has become a member of Dumbledore's inner circle, he will be of no use to us."
"From what I could gather, he is not yet but works almost daily with Dumbledore. I am confident in saying that Sirius is one of those closest to Dumbledore by virtue of his release taking precedent over their preparations for the war meeting."
"You may be correct," he allowed, and she almost collapsed from relief. "We are fortunate that we have been given so much time to prepare, and can spare some for frivolities such as these. Continue your efforts. The time may be nearing when we need to begin exerting pressure on the weakened Ministry. There will be no hiding away this time."
Her thoughts fled to Draco, safe at Durmstrang.
"I understand, my Lord."