Champions

The Life and Times of Harry James Potter

As dinner wound down, Fleur could not shake the unsettled feeling that had come over her. When Harry was so nervous about coming here, she guessed that he was merely anticipating meeting her mother – a daunting prospect for most boys, or so she had heard – but now she was not so sure. His extreme reaction to her grandmother was, after all, rather shocking!

He was perfectly polite throughout the meal, and though his cheeks were stained permanently red from embarrassment, he said nothing about it. It was as though he was doing his best to ignore the issue and move on – which she could respect, but which also did not satisfy her. When combined with her father's warning not to question him, and the statement that he was not used to being held, the situation painted a very disturbing picture in her mind.

But she could do nothing about that at the moment, and instead simply watched him. While he was very quiet, he still made an effort to participate in the conversation, and that impressed her. The strain he was under shone like a beacon in his brilliant green eyes, but he ignored it as best he could, making a concerted effort to be friendly and fit in.

And if that was what he was made of, that incredible inner strength, then she was truly honored that he had agreed to marry her!

It was a very odd concept, but she doubted that she could have picked another that she would rather be with in this situation. It wasn't his looks, or his money, or even his personality per se; it was his sense of nobility. If there was one thing she knew, it was that he would never take advantage of her, and that was worth a tremendous amount!

She was, however, worried about his issues with physical contact. Apart from her family, she herself did not generally allow others to touch her, but there were reasons for that – most notably that boys tended to take it as an invitation for something more. It did not change that she did, in fact, desire that sort of thing!

Would he be able to give that to her? Would he ever be comfortable enough that she could touch him without triggering a negative reaction, and that he would return the gesture in kind? If not, then she would not be terribly happy, not that she could blame him for the problem if her suspicions were correct.

The only thing she could think to do was to test the waters. Her grandmother had accosted him in a rather sudden manner, and that could have had something to do with it. Perhaps if she started slowly and cautiously, she could get him used to the idea...

"Fleur? Are you coming?"

Snapped out of her reverie by her father's call, she focused back on the here and now, and was startled to find everyone rising from the table. Harry was watching her curiously, though she suspected that he understood what had just happened. He, too, had spaced out on several different occasions this night.

"Sorry, Papa," she said sheepishly as she rose gracefully to her feet. "My mind was wandering."

Her father nodded understandingly. "Come," he smiled. "We will retire to the living room. I 'ave an idea that may be a fun way for us to get to know 'Arry, and I do not think you will want to miss it."

The puzzled and nervous look on Harry's face made her smile. She had an idea of where her father was going with this, and she was certain that Harry would agree to it. And he was right: it would be an excellent way for them to get to know him better! Remembering her earlier idea, she held out her hand to him and smiled, hoping that he might take it.

He glanced warily at it – he was obviously still out of sorts – but then he gathered his courage and reached out. She smiled as she felt his hand slip into hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smiled faintly back at her, but his fidgeting told her that he had no idea what to do with himself in a situation such as this.