Chapter 146: He did What?!

*****

Appoline knocked on Fleur's door.

"Mon Ange, is something wrong? You haven't been out since yesterday,"

Yes, Fleur remained in her room for the majority of the evening yesterday. She didn't even come out to play with Gabrielle, thus making the little girl upset.

Appoline was somewhat aware of the problem, but there wasn't much she could do for her daughter in this situation.

Inside the spacious room, which could have once been called have been called beautifully decorated and well furnished, Fleur was in the process of destroying yet another training dummy with her spell. Funnily enough, the dummy had a blond hair wig of messy hair and blue buttons for its eyes.

The room was made completely soundproof so that what's going on inside can't be heard outside. And the current state of the room was quite messy as a result of Fleur's continuous attack magic casting.

After Fleur cast her last spell, which just fizzled out into nothing, she laid back down on the Floor panting as her silver blond hair spread out like a tide. She was magically exhausted, yet again.

"It's not enough," she murmured.

For months, she was looking forward to meeting Chris again and practicing Dueling with him, but it turns out, he seems to have any such feeling whatsoever. He barely talked to her yesterday, since all of his attention was focused on that 'friend' of his.

Fleur, of course, knew who that girl was. She was Dora Tonks, the friend he keeps mentioning, the one who faced similar difficulties as Fleur's during her school year. Fleur had at first been looking forward to meeting a girl who suffered a similar fate as her.

But, after she realized that this girl seems to have Chris wrapped around her finger, and even while Chris always treats Fleur like air, she began to faintly resent this girl. What did this girl have that she didn't? Just imagining them together, Fleur felt that Chris was settling down for low a class girl while due to his excellent talent, his high family background, his looks, and temperament, he deserves much much better.

Thus, when she finally met Dora yesterday, Fleur couldn't even bring herself to talk freely with that girl. In fact, they only exchanged very few words, all of them laced with double meanings, barbs, and insults.

Of course, Chris, that hateful guy totally missed it, since he was too busy with the food and his bestfriend. But, Fleur didn't. In fact, she didn't even miss the arrogant and challenging smirk that the girl sent her way just after she'd cast that Force wall spell, just before Chris had cut it down easily. Even though Fleur was satisfied with seeing even that girl defeated by Chris and that arrogant smirk getting wiped off her face when Chris defeated her easily, Fleur still had to accept that currently, she was inferior, at least magically.

"There's something else as well," she murmured.

There's something else she has to accept now, after denying it for so long. Fleur got up. It was time she stopped her denial phase.

"I have a crush on him," she sighed. She had to accept it.

After meeting so many guys who couldn't talk to her without drooling and could only say words of flattery, meeting Chris, who wasn't swayed by her beauty and spoke his mind even if he was rude was a breath of fresh air.

In their first meeting, after he'd defeated her and even made good friends with Gabrielle, Fleur somewhat despised him.

At that time, even though she was subconsciously and unknowingly impressed by his resistance to allure, his talent and dedication to magic and training, his annoyingly good appearance which was made him look her age even though he was younger, and his ability to get along with both adults and children. Of course, it was all subconscious. Fleur didn't accept any of it, and neither did she think much about it.

And yet, she absolutely despised him for being so annoying and rude to her. But in their next few meetings, he started treating her a bit better after she treated him better, making her realize that, she herself was also quite rude to him from the beginning. He had only been returning the favor! This fact, was also something she only realized much later.

After knowing about her circumstances in the school, Chris even gave her valuable pointers, which helped her in making her school change totally. After this, Fleur regarded him as a very good friend who had helped her a lot, but a still a bastard who enjoys bullying her.

It was after he said his honest thoughts after Christmas night that she realized that even his bullying had helped her be humble and had changed many things about her behavior towards other people. And then she saw him exercising and saw his well toned body which, she has to admit, made her drool a bit. It was after that did she suddenly started becoming more and more aware of his good qualities and even his bad qualities started to look good to her.

And there was also the thing she just found out at school recently after Christmas. It was something she had kept secret, but if was etched deep into her heart.

But... even all this was something she was feeling and thinking subconsciously. She wasn't yet aware of her feelings, or rather, she didn't want to admit it. But, after she saw him be so gentle, caring and loving toward that girl while completely ignoring her, Fleur felt that seen quite unbearable to watch. It felt like her heart was burning, and her veela powers would have acted out if she hadn't used occlumency with all of her focus to suppress it.

After that, when she finally returned home, she's locked herself in her room ever since, training in denial, blasted off dummies that look like that damned hateful bastard one after another. And, now that she's thought things through, he's no longer going to deny it.

Fleur Delacour is not a girl who would hide from her own feelings. She hasn't known defeat by anyone (other than Chris), and she's always gotten what she likes. Which is why, she's going to change many things from today onwards.

***

Even before Moody's arrival, Sebastian had dragged his family for breakfast already.

"He has the Sword of Griffindor! One of the best treasures the Goblins ever made! Even an hour less spent in not studying it is a huge loss! Why does no one understand?!"

Thus, Fleur had to go back face the hateful Chris once again, whether she was willing or not. While Gabrielle and Appoline were happy to follow, Gabrielle for meeting Chris, Esmee, Nyxie and Appoline for delicious food respectively. The Delacours weren't aware of Moody's arrival and the two families were so close that they could come and go to each other's place at anytime. Besides, Fleur and Gabrielle were going to go anyway for playing and for dueling practice.

Thus, just before Moody's arrival, the Martins welcomed the Delacours, but it was no big deal. Moody shouldn't mind bigger company, right?

As soon as he arrived, Sebastian found Chris,

"Can I have a look, pleeease?!"

"...." the way he asked looked quite similar to Gabrielle. 'So, that's the source of Gabrielle's enthusiastic nature.'

Appoline pinched her husband's side, making him yelp, "You're meeting him after so long, and the first thing you do is ask for Sword?" The she turned to Chris and smiled, "Don't mind his rudeness. Sometimes, even I feel that my husband is loves enchanting more than his wife,"

Chris chuckled as Sebastian tried to deny Appoline's statement, "I really don't mind it. I can actually understand where he's coming from. After all, it's the Sword of Griffindor!"

Sebastian's eyes widened, then he ran and hugged Chris, "Finally! Finally, someone who understands!" He said melodramatically.

While Chris interacted with the both of them, Gabrielle went to Esmée who was holding Nyxie in her small arms. Dora and Fleur met gazes and this time, Dora smiled, since she was now officially Chris's girlfriend. While Fleur turned her head away.

At this moment, the fireplace blazed to life once again, and a scary man hobbled out of it, causing little Esmée and Gabrielle to hide behind Chris.

The man had a face that was so scared that it looked like it was carved out of wood. A good chunk of his nose was missing, and he had wooden leg on one instead of a real one which had a clawed foot, but the most distinguishing...and disturbing aspect of his appearance was one ball eye that was installed in his left eye socket. It was electric blue and moving around the room, scanning the new surroundings in vigilance.

Camille showed no reaction upon seeing the man's appearance aside from raising her eyebrows, showing that she was on occlumency mode, but Sebastian has a real jump scare while Appoline drew her wand.

Durant stepped forward as he put forward his hand was a handshake, "Alastor Mad-eye Moody, it's an honour to meet you," he said. He was being truthful. Moody was a true fighter. Going strong even after suffering from so many debilitating injuries. It didn't hurt that Moody had put out a fair share of death Eaters.

Moody shook hands with Durant.

"It's an honor to meet you as well, Durant Martin. Your reputation precedes you. 'Met your father before, a great man," said Moody in a growling voice. Moody was being more polite here since he was the one who came asking for help.

Durant nodded and Moody's magical eye became focused on Chris.

Upon seeing Chris, turned his real eye on him as well as he judged Chris's trained body and his stance and found no openings, even though Chris was standing quite relaxed. After his years to fighting, his combat experience and judgement is better than even Dumbledore, since Dumbledore was more oriented towards the academics.

Moody nodded his approval at Chris,

"You are good, kid. But it is as expected of someone who slew a 70 feet long Basilisk. Ever thought about joining the Aurors, eh?" Moody thought that this boy could definitely be trained to be even better than Dora, so he complimented him. But... he wasn't aware that he'd unknowingly dropped a bomb.

Camille's occlumency was instantly gone as she turned her face towards Chris and Dora turned to Moody.

"He did what?!" (Camille)

"What did you say?!" (Dora)

Fleur's eyes widened to large proportions, but she had her doubts and Appoline put a hand to her mouth.

Instantly, all eyes focused on Chris.

Chris had a blaming look towards Moody then he then looked innocently at everyone,

"Why are you guys so surprised? Didn't I already tell everyone yesterday? It's why I got the special services award."

"...." x everyone

***

A.N.: 👀This time, he really didn't lie...

Though he's still busted... or not. Find out tomorrow.

Some Fleur PoV there.

Damn, I released 149 instead to 146 earlier, though no one bothered telling me. Everyone busy reading the spoilers 😂.

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