Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

Shell Cottage

By the time she had awoken, Dobby was already buried and Fleur sat beside her, holding her hand, soothingly rubbing her thumb over the top of Estella's hand.

"You're very brave, you know?" whispered Fleur.

Estella shook her head. "I was terrified the entire time."

"Brave and terrified are often synonymous," said Fleur.

Fleur certainly had a way with words.

She looked around the room, it was quite evident Fleur had put her soul into making the cottage a home; the entire room spoke of Fleur's touch. The curtains fluttering in the wind was a soft white, the room itself was painted the lightest of blues, and there was a beautiful bouquet of pale gold, white, and silver flowers on the dresser.

"Where's Harry?" Estella asked softly. She knew how badly he'd take Dobby's death, how he'd certainly blame himself for it. He always blamed himself.

"Visiting the grave with Ron and Hermione. It took Ron and Hermione threatening to hex him to make him leave your side. He was terrified that'd you die under my watch and almost attempted to bring you to St. Mungo's. That boy loves you quite fiercely," said Fleur.

She could feel her face grow warm. "The feeling's mutual." Though, she would've hexed Harry herself if he brought her to St. Mungo's. Her life wasn't worth risking Harry, Ron, or Hermione being captured and the Ministry being made aware of their location. 

Fleur leaned forward and kissed the girl's head before rising to her feet.

"I'll go tell the others you've awakened," she said before leaving the room.

Her hand traveled down until she felt the bandages around her abdomen. The shard of glass had been removed as though it was never there to begin with. Her body still ached from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse and her head throbbed slightly, but other than that Estella felt fine.

The door opened minutes later and Harry's familiar face appeared, his eyes still shining with worry. He was slightly out of breath as he sat down in the seat Fleur had abandoned and took her hand into his.

"I'm so sorry, Estella," he whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed. Harry had nothing to be sorry about. He'd certainly done stuff in the past to be sorry for, but this wasn't one of them.

"Why would you be sorry? Bellatrix did it," said Estella, reaching her free hand up and cupping his cheek. He leaned into her hand, savoring and cementing that she was here, she was alive.

"I said his name-"

"Harry, any one of us-okay, not Ron-but Hermione and I could've said it by accident too. You got us away before You-Know-Who showed up," Estella said.

Harry didn't look like he was buying it.

"That counts for something," Estella pressed. It could've easily been her who slipped up and said his name.

"She would've killed you, Essy," his voice was cold and full of hatred.

"I wouldn't be the first person she tried to kill," said Estella without thinking.

She squeezed his hand as his expression darkened.

"She couldn't have killed me. I'm too 'valuable' to You-Know-Who and she's too much of an obsessive, psychotic, bit-"

"Es!" scolded Harry. "I thought you said to leave the swearing to Ron."

She laughed. "Hmm, I forgot about that," she said, laughing. "Anyways, she loves him too much to ever disobey him...maybe that's why she wanted to kill me. To stay his number one!"