The Date Part I: An Enchanting Evening (Patreon)

A couple of important notes before we begin. One, this disregards Fleur’s and Bill’s wedding in canon. Two, please read the Author’s note at the bottom. There’s something important there.

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Her blue eyes shone in the mirror as she checked her lavender dress, sharp and clear as the winter sky. With a frown, she tugged open the drawer of the dressing table and with a wave of her wand, a blue velvet box floated onto the desk. Fleur snapped the lock open, lifting a glittering silver necklace from within.

Giving herself a dimpled smile, Fleur tied the necklace, examining the shine of the purple gem hanging over the swell of her breasts. She plucked a pair of matching earrings from the counter and hooked them in her ears, nudging the small, purple gem with the tip of her finger.

“Parfait.” She beamed. 

A faint crack echoed in the distance and Fleur glanced toward her window, her heart lurching in her chest. 

“Fleur! Fleur! Il est là!” Gabby’s voice rang from outside. 

“Comeeng!” Fleur flinched as her syllables slipped, her French accent glimpsing through. “Non, that won’t do.” 

With a wave of her wand, her heels trotted out of her cupboard and she slipped them onto her feet, wiggling her toes. Rising from her chair, she threw a last glance at the mirror on the wall, before nodding to herself. 

She picked her silver purse off the table and turned, her heels clicked over the wooden floorboard as she emerged from the room, her eyes running across the hall.

A dark blue cloak rose from heavy black dragonhide boots, a slim red rose clutched in between pale fingers. A pair of shining emerald green eyes framed by round glasses met hers, and the pink lips curled into a slight smile.

“You look quite lovely.” Harry held out the flower for her and she plucked it from his fingers, bringing it to her nose and breathing in its scent. 

“Thank you.” Fleur tucked the flower behind her ear, her cheeks dimpling. “You clean up well too, Harry.”

Harry smiled and stepped closer to her. 

A loud slurp drew their attention. Gabby sat atop the kitchen counter, a steaming mug in her hand, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“What?” She threw them an innocent look. “I am just having my chocolat chaud. Want some, Harry?”

“Um, no, I am fine. Thank you for offering through.” Harry glanced at Fleur. “We should get going. We have a reservation.”

“Yes.” Fleur nodded. “Don’t go to bed too late, Gabby.”

“And you don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Gabrielle giggled from behind her cup.

“Hush, little harpy.” Fleur glared at her sister, then  offered Harry a smile. “Ignore her.”

“Bye Gabrielle.” Harry coughed, taking Fleur’s hand in his. “Let’s go. Are you apparating us?”

“Unless you can apparate through my enchantments, yes.” Fleur’s lips curled into a sharp smile, as her grasp on his hand tightened. “Hold tight, Harry.”

The world closed around them, whirling in a flash of colors until Harry felt his feet touch the ground  and golden letters shone in his eyes.

‘The Roaring Dragon.’ Harry strode forward with Fleur by his side.

“Good evening, Mr. Potter. Ma’am.” The wizard at the desk by the door inclined his head. “Your private table is ready. We hope you enjoy your evening”

“Private table?” Fleur quirked an eyebrow as Harry held the door open for her to walk through.

Rich, glimmering floorboards stretched across the floor, golden lights hovering over the tables, lighting the place. The faint aroma of lavender and rosemary hung in the air as they walked in, soft music waltzing to their ears following a waiter dressed in sharp blue robes. 

“Don’t want to get hounded by people, or worse Skeeter on the date, do you?” Harry whispered to Fleur as they were led to a private booth, lit by floating candles. “She has done it before, let me tell you.”

He pulled the chair out for Fleur and she held up  her dress like a princess, lowering herself on the red cushioned seat.

“Merci.”

Harry walked around the table and sat on his own chair across from Fleur, unbuttoning his cloak. 

“So,” Harry began. “How’ve you been? I haven’t really seen you since—”

“Bill and I broke up three years ago?” Fleur’s eyes cooled a touch, a small wrinkle creasing between her slim blonde brows. 

“I was going to go with the phrase ‘my sixth year at Hogwarts’ but this works just fine.” Harry waved a hand. “I honestly didn’t even know you stayed in Britain after that.”

“I didn’t. I returned a little over two years ago.” Fleur placed her purse on the edge of her table. “Everything had begun settling down after the war and I had gotten a job offer, you see? A very lavish job offer.”

“An enchanter at Nimbus’ Brooms.” Harry poured her a glass of water from the crystal pitcher, doing the same for himself. 

Fresh mint leaves floated in the water, edging toward its glass walls. Harry took a sip and savored the lingering minty coolness on his tongue.

“Yes.” Fleur’s eyes sparkled. “The first project I worked on was the Ultra. They wanted someone who had worked with goblin materials before to work for them. And I turned out to be the perfect candidate.”

“Nimbus Ultra is a great broom.” Harry nodded. “Not as fast as the Inferno, but it more than makes up for it with agility.”

“The Inferno compromises agility for speed; we don’t.” Fleur threw her nose up. “And at top speed, Inferno tended to drift horribly when turning at a higher altitude. The only reason most didn’t point it out, was because no one flies that high on the Quidditch field. Except for seekers chasing a rogue snitch.”

“I was a seeker at Hogwarts since my first year, you know?” Harry said. “Interestingly, my first broom was a Nimbus.” 

“You would’ve joined Hogwarts in ‘91.” Fleur scrutinized him. “Which means you would have had the two-thousand.”

“Yes. My next broom was the Firebolt.”

“Moved on to the next hotshot, didn’t you?” Fleur raised a delicate eyebrow.

“Actually, the broom was destroyed during a match.” Harry grimaced. “Whomping Willow.”

“That tree that hit everything at your school?” Fleur wrinkled her nose. “Madame Maxime told us to stay away from it.”

“What can I say? Hogwarts was a deathtrap.” Harry chortled as a slight pop rang through the booth, two menus appearing in front of them alongside a basket.

Silver cutlery and plates glinted on their tables while the aroma of freshly baked bread drifted through the air. Fleur poked at the cloth covering the basket, pulling it away delicately. 

“It is fresh out of the oven.” She examined a slice of slightly round bread. “And still warm.”

“One of the many things this place is famous for,” Harry said. “Alongside its steak and desserts, or so I have been told.”

Fleur hummed, picking up a silver knife and buttering the slice of bread in her hand. “I was told this place was as expensive as it is good.” She peered at him with her blue eyes. “You wouldn’t try  to impress me with your money, would you, Harry?”

“I honestly chose it for privacy.” Harry shifted. “And I recently helped the new owner of the place and she bought me some dessert I could barely name. I liked it though.”

“Oh.” Heat bled into Fleur’s eyes. “You enjoy sweet things, Harry?” 

“Err…” Harry hunted for words. “I like good things, I suppose. I am not really partial as long as it tastes good to me.”

Fleur cocked her head,spilling her silver head over her shoulder. “That’s a first. I quite like sweet things. Sweet, simple, with a hint of lemon at times.”

“Like a lemon sorbet?”

Fleur beamed. “Exactly like a lemon sorbet.”

Harry nodded, holding Fleur’s gaze for a moment before she gave him a quick smile, swiping the menu off the table and flipping through it.

He turned his gaze to the basket, picking up a small piece of bread, the size of his palm. The silver edge of his knife pierced through a cube of butter with the tip of his knife, spreading it on the bread, feeling the warm crust crunch between his fingers.

“What will you take, Harry?” Fleur nudged the menu toward him. “There are a lot of options.”

Harry glanced at the page she was holding open. “I think I’ll go with the ribeye.”

“Then I’ll have the same.” Fleur flipped the page. “How about some wine?”

“Sure. But I know next to nothing about ordering wines.” Harry chuckled. “I usually go with whatever Hermione or someone else suggests.”

“Cabernet Sauvignon will do.” Fleur placed the menu aside, pulling her wand out of her purse. “Shall we?”

Harry touched the tip of his wand to his plate. “Rib eye steak, medium.”

“Rib eye, medium rare, with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon,” Fleur said fluently and their plates glowed for a moment. “Done!”

“So,” Harry said. 

“So.” Fleur looked up at him, licking her lips. “How’s your job with the Aurors?”

“Well.” Harry ran his fingers through his hair. “Same old, same old. There’s always something happening around. Thankfully, they don’t have me do patrols and stuff. I directly work cases nowadays.”

“And you enjoy it?”

“It gives me something to do. Perhaps, a mystery to solve.” He rubbed his jaw. “And a chance to help people. Hermione says I have a saving-people-problem, apparently.”

“You did save my little sister from the lake even though you didn’t have to.” Fleur’s lips curved into a fond smile. “And you stayed back to ensure all the champions were coming for their hostages despite being first.”

“I couldn’t risk it,” Harry rubbed the back of his head. “Speaking of your sister, is Gabrielle now living with you?”

“She is visiting, more like it. Until her final year at Beauxbatons starts.” Fleur tucked a curl of her hair behind her ear. “She wanted to come stay with me for a long time. But she can’t do it when school’s in session, can she?”

“That sucks,” Harry said. “It—”

He stopped as food appeared on their plates, alongside a golden dish in the middle of the table, containing scalloped potatoes and honey-roasted carrots. A knock sounded on their booth’s door and it slid open to reveal a blonde witch dressed in a crimson gown, a bottle of wine held delicately in her hands.

“Harry.” The witch stepped toward the table, her eyes trailing to Fleur. “Mademoiselle Delacour.”

“Daphne,” Harry rose from his seat. “Fleur, this is Daphne Greengrass— the owner of this wonderful place.”

“Hope everything is to your liking.” Daphne flashed them a smile, pearly white teeth shining between cherry red lips as she uncorked the bottle. “Would you like a taste?”

“Yes,” Fleur said and Daphne poured a tiny amount of wine in her glass. 

Fleur swirled the scarlet liquid in the glass, sniffed it, and took a small sip. She offered Daphne a tiny nod and she poured them both a glass.

“Have a good evening, you two.” Daphne placed the bottle on the table.

Harry cleared his throat. “Actually, we didn’t order the potatoes and carrots.”

“Courtesy of the house, Harry.” Daphne’s smile turned sharp. “I hope you will have good things to say about my restaurant when Skeeter asks you about it.”

“Skeeter’s here?”

“Lurking in the public dining, I believe.” Daphne smirked. “Don’t worry, she won’t disturb you. We’ve taken appropriate measures. I value my guests’ privacy above anything.”

“Guests whom you are buying with potatoes for a good review.” Harry grinned. 

“I won’t disturb you for any longer than I already have.” Daphne winked and turned to Fleur. “Have a good evening. If you require anything, just tap your wand to your plates; we will know.”

With that, she turned away and walked out in a flutter of red, the door sliding back shut. 

“So, this is your friend.” Fleur picked up her cutlery. “You keep interesting company, I will give you that.”

“It got us free potatoes.” Harry mirrored her actions. “Let’s dine, shall we?”

Fleur raised a small piece of steak to him, her lips curling into a brilliant smile. “To a good date with you, Harry.”

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

Feels short, doesn’t it? Well… I figured, why not make it a two-shot instead of a one-shot this time around? But, for the next part, I need your opinion and a very very important one at that.

How would you like the story to proceed forward?

• With a nice, wholesome, fluffy ending where Fleur and Harry are cuties.

• Or… a more… spicy version where Harry takes Fleur home?

Vote in the poll below! 

I am not sure how good I will be with erotic writing. But it occurred to me that this story could go two ways, both equally good. 

So, I am asking you all instead! 

I am still fairly hesitant to do the second option. But, well, I like to challenge myself. If the 2nd option gets 66% votes or more, I will go with it. If not, I will end it with a nice, fluffy second chapter.

Before you make that decision, let it be known that I have an excellent idea for the first type of ending too. It will be fluffy as a marshmallow and equally tasty if the first one wins. 

A huge thanks to Mughil for betaing this chapter!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66