|Alpha Theodore|

| Chapter II |

An afternoon filled with baking cookies and jam from many different fruits harvest from their garden, Marie and Fleur finally took a seat enjoying some tea with their homemade snacks. Fleur looked around the table filled with several jars and baskets before giving a sign of joy. 

"I am happy we finished it before dusk aunt" 

Marie nodded sipping her tea and glancing outside at the beautiful sunset. They had made tons of cookies and jams for Marie's family as a gift, since her family was big it was better they made jams as well because of the love everyone in that town had for jams. Fleur felt different today. It was the first time she wore her newly made gown. She remembers lacing up the front of her dress and trying her best to pull that lace along her chest up to cover her bust better. But she gave up, the dress made her look different, more of a woman than a girl. Fleur loved the dress, it was just the different style that took her a while to get used to. 

"I will pack the jams, you can pack the cookies" 

Fleur agreed to her aunt's decision taking the plates filled with now cooled-down cooked and grabbing the baskets. It was the week before they left to visit Marie's hometown, the first time Fleur would accompany them for a visit. The years before this, Fleur would only see her family for Christmas and she was excited to finally see a wedding and be a part of it. 

"Have you taken your shawl dear? and your socks, oh yes you need to take a cape in case it snows, and what about your petticoats, do you need me to run and ask the lady to make you a new one?" 

Fleur was caught up in answering Marie's questions as she packed the last set of cookies in a basket. 

"Yes aunt, I have everything I might need, you bought me far too many things I cannot take all of them with us" 

Marie sighs filling the teacup for the second time and taking a slow sip. 

"I am just worried you might get cold over there, it is in the hills after all. Oh! we have to get the carriage cleaned, oh dear" 

With that, Marie closed the last jar of jam putting it in the basket before running out. Fleur smiled watching her aunt and huffed before standing up and walking to the backyard and watering their plants. She stared at the newly planted seedlings and hoped they would survive till she got back home. Fleur shrugged off the need to visit the mountains and go for walk after what happened last time, resorting to sitting on the patio of the house and reading a book about herbs, something she loved doing. After visiting her uncle's shop of herbs in the town she wanted to learn more about them, it fascinated her. 

Fleur spend the afternoon on the porch reading her book until she saw Marie call for her to have an evening snack and before she noticed the week was over already and they were preparing to leave. 

*** 

"Good morning, Ms.Magret." 

Fleur greet her neighbor as she opened her door to Fleur holding a basket and some flowers. 

"Oh! Fleur, come in dear." 

Fleur smiled walking in and keeping the basket of cookies and bread she made on the table near their living room, keeping the flowers down beside the basket and unwrapping the paper around them. 

"Your garden flowers always make the house look fresh" 

"Thank you. Me and Aunt Marie made some cookies and bread. I wanted to ask a favor from you, Miss Margret." Fleur askes sitting down on the chair Margaret pulled for her before filling an empty vase next to her with water for the flowers.