A Villain's Invitation
Fleur Isabelle Delacour, known at Beauxbatons as a beauty without equal, was part veela. Her charm flowed naturally through every movement she made, something that had caused her quite a few problems in the past… until she learned to control it almost completely.
Exaccept when she lost control of her emotions.
Something that, fortunately, happened very rarely.
But unfortunately… today was not one of those times.
"Where is it?"
Her voice, usually elegant, sounded tense.
Her room was an absolute mess. Clothes scattered everywhere, drawers left open, even the mattress had been flipped over as if it had been attacked. Her expression was a chaotic mix of nerves, frustration, and barely contained panic.
At the doorway, leaning calmly against the frame, Luciel watched the scene with complete ease.
He was calmly eating a bowl of ice cream, completely at ease, as if there wasn't a veela about to explode right in front of him.
His presence, moreover, prevented Fleur's uncontrolled charm from affecting the students in the hallway… though even then, a faint magical pressure seemed to seep through the walls.
"Luciel… it's not there. It disappeared," Fleur said, turning toward him, her expression growing tighter by the second.
"Ah, yeah. I gave it to Harry."
The spoon returned to his mouth without a hint of urgency.
Fleur froze completely.
She blinked once.
Then again.
And slowly turned her head toward her cousin, as if she hadn't quite processed what she had just heard.
"You… you… you what…?"
Her blue eyes, usually calm, were now filled with pure confusion.
"Well, it was for him anyway, wasn't it?" Luciel replied with the same calm tone as always, though a faint, amused smile curved on his lips.
A mistake.
A serious one.
"Are you an idiot?" Fleur roared.
For a moment, her hair seemed to move with her anger, as if an invisible force stirred it.
At that moment, Luciel probably felt grateful that Fleur was only half veela… because otherwise, he would already be on fire.
"No, no, no… no, no…"
Fleur shook her head quickly, bringing a hand to her forehead as she realized what that meant.
She didn't need to ask.
She knew exactly what was in that letter.
And if Harry read it… things would get very complicated.
And that was precisely the problem.
Without another word, she turned and ran out at full speed.
She stopped for barely a second at the door, turning back with a dangerous look.
"You'd better remember this, Luciel Delacour."
And then she vanished down the hallway, moving at full speed, her heels striking sharply against the floor, each step echoing with almost violent urgency.
…
Fleur entered Hogwarts without even noticing that her hair was a complete mess, and she didn't even have time to check whether her clothes were perfectly wrinkle-free, as she normally did every single time she stepped out of her room.
And even though she was a mess, her charm was still active, captivating anyone who looked at her; even disheveled, she had a presence that was impossible to ignore.
Some were instantly mesmerized, wearing foolish smiles as if they were already imagining a future with her. Others, more resistant, grabbed their friends before they could run toward Fleur and propose marriage on the spot.
Thankfully, the more aware ones could see the hint of fury mixed with panic on Fleur's face, and understand that approaching her right now would only be something an idiot would do.
Fleur scanned the entire entrance hall, since she truly had no idea where to find Harry at a time like this, with everyone on holiday. He could be anywhere in the castle… or even outside of it.
Almost immediately, her gaze landed on a young boy with black hair that seemed to be slowly turning white.
It was Tommy, coming down the stairs with a box in his arms filled with all sorts of items he had most likely gotten from the Weasley twins, a playful grin already on his face, clearly thinking about where he was going to use all of it.
The moment he looked up, he saw the beautiful half-veela appear right in front of him and grab him by the shoulders, startling him for a second, especially because of the slightly unhinged expression she had right now.
"H-hi, Fleur," Tommy said when he saw her, a bit uneasy from the aura surrounding her; something that might enchant others, but for one of the Scarlet Witch's children, it was barely more than a light breeze. Even so, the aura hidden beneath her charm felt dangerously real.
For a moment, he completely lost the strength in his arms and dropped the box to the ground. Its contents scattered everywhere; stink bombs, suspiciously bright sweets, and at least two artifacts that immediately began to release a faint green smoke.
Tommy looked at them for a second… then back at Fleur, who was staring straight into his eyes.
"Where is your brother?" Fleur asked without even acknowledging his greeting, because at this point, she was genuinely desperate.
"Billy? I think he went with Luna and Astoria to visit my mom and my aunts in the professors' room," Tommy replied quickly, feeling the hands on his shoulders tighten just a bit more than necessary.
"No, your older brother. The villain… Harry. Where is Harry?" Fleur asked quickly.
"Oh. Harry. Yeah, I saw him a moment ago. He was playing with a letter, smiling like a villain, and then he vanished into a swirl of red mist," Tommy said, pointing in the direction where he had seen him earlier.
Fleur looked where Tommy pointed, and even when he said Harry was no longer there, she thanked him and ran off in that direction without hesitation.
As Tommy watched her sprint away at full speed, he couldn't help but let out a sigh. He rubbed his shoulders for a moment before picking the box back up from the floor.
"Girls are so complicated…," he muttered before continuing on his way, which would very likely end with him turned into a baby for a couple of days. But that was a story for another time.
…
"Ugh… ugh…" Fleur climbed the stairs, looking slightly out of breath as she reached the spot Tommy had pointed out. She looked around, but of course, Harry wasn't there.
"Wow. You're a mess," a familiar voice said from behind her. Daphne and Hermione stood there, watching her with obvious curiosity.
"Are you alright, Fleur?" Hermione asked when she saw her like that.
"Harry. Where is he? Did you see him?" Fleur asked quickly, ignoring their comments.
"Harry?" The moment they heard his name, the girls immediately understood why Fleur might look like this. Harry had done something again.
"Yes. He was…" Before Hermione could finish, Fleur stepped closer and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her face close to hers.
"Where?" she asked instantly.
Hermione leaned her face back slightly and pointed behind her. "He said he was going to the courtyard," she replied.
Fleur didn't wait for another word and ran off again.
Leaving Hermione and Daphne standing there.
"Lately she's been looking for Harry a lot, hasn't she?" Daphne said with a faint, amused smile as she watched Fleur disappear at full speed.
"Haaa… Harry can be pretty good with girls, but when it comes to Fleur, he acts like a complete jerk," Hermione added, shaking her head. "The worst part is, I don't think he even realizes it."
"Should we tell Fleur about Harry's weakness?" Daphne asked, a slightly mischievous smile forming on her lips.
Hermione looked at her for a second… then calmly shook her head.
"No. That's far too useful to waste right now," she said immediately, looking like the model student Hermione had been thoroughly corrupted by her friends a long time ago.
There was a brief silence between them.
Then, almost at the same time, they smiled.
"Later," they both added in unison.
The two of them walked off as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring what was about to occur when Fleur and Harry met.
…
Which didn't take long.
As Fleur came back down the stairs, the students along the way couldn't help but glance at her once or twice as she ran past, slightly sweaty and completely disheveled by this point.
As she headed toward the inner courtyard of the castle, the moment she stepped in, she scanned the area; the fountain, the large tree in the corner, and the students sitting around, chatting peacefully, who immediately stopped talking to look at her the second she arrived.
Fleur took a step forward… and froze.
Something caught her attention instantly.
And then she saw him.
A subtle movement among the students; a letter swaying calmly, as if it had been waiting for her all along.
He had been waiting.
Sitting right on the edge of the fountain, a playful smile on his face as he held a letter in his hand, lightly waving it when he saw her arrive. That charming villain smile, with a faint mischievous glint in his green eyes.
"Oh? Looks like someone couldn't stay away from me," Harry said, that grin making it very clear he was already enjoying this far too much. "Miss me already?"