Champions

...Now with extra padfoot

Fleur was apparently a big fan of nature hikes, and Harry filed that away for future reference. Maybe he could arrange a better date next time now that he knew. Of course, he only knew this in the first place because of the incredibly wide – and extremely evil – smile she wore for the duration of the trip to Padfoot's cave. The canine in question led them a merry chase, and she was clearly having the time of her life.

Of course, the chase – and her enjoyment of it – may have had something to do with the fact that she was repeatedly demonstrating her amazing proficiency with cosmetic Charms as they scrambled after him...

By the time they reached the cave, she'd somehow managed to hit him with no less than ten Charms and hexes, and probably closer to twenty. His fur had been hit with so many color changing Charms that he would've fit right in with a group of American hippies! She also managed to style his hair up a bit, resulting in a windswept mohawk that trailed down from his head all the way to his tail.

It was bright Slytherin green.

When they reached their destination, Padfoot took cover behind Buckbeak, who was tethered in the back of the cave. Harry and Fleur scrambled in after him huffing and puffing, and Fleur, who was in the lead, came to a screeching halt. She eyed the sleeping hippogriff warily, but wisely chose not to approach.

Padfoot morphed into Sirius, and then–

"Alright! I give!" he yelped.

Fleur stepped forward with an evil grin, and an equally evil light in her eyes. She crossed her arms and gave him an expectant look, foot tapping idly in the dirt. Harry smirked; his daydreams about Marauding veela were coming true!

"I think you owe someone an apology, Sirius," he grinned knowingly.

"Mmmm," nodded Fleur in an agreement, arching an eyebrow at the offender. "You should use caution, Meester Black. You are not ze only one 'oo can transform, and ze next time, your nose may become... charred."

Harry's smirk only grew when Sirius cautiously stepped forward and then suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her. "I'm sorry!" he gushed. "I'll never do it again, just don't hex me anymore! Please, I'm begging you!"

Harry chortled, and Fleur finally holstered her wand. "Bon," she grinned, "I will 'old you to zat."

And with that, she withdrew and took a position next to Harry, turning to give him a bright smile. Her cheeks were pink with exertion, and it only made her look that much more beautiful. He would let her chase his godfather all she wanted if it kept that delighted sparkle in her eyes, and he could not help but smile brightly back at her.

They didn't bother to inform Sirius that he now had a green streak down the middle of his head.

Looking like he, too, had just had the time of his life, Sirius grinned and swept Harry up in a warm, welcoming hug. Harry had to guess that it'd been a while since he'd had so much fun, and that dimmed his mood slightly, though he quickly pushed it away. He wouldn't ruin the day by worrying about his godfather's plight, when he could help the man forget for a while instead.

When Sirius finally pulled back, he eyed Fleur with interest. "So who's the bird, Harry?" he asked curiously.

A slow, evil smile grew on Harry's face. "Well..." he said slowly. "I suppose I should probably introduce you." Fleur must have noticed his look, because her grin reappeared, and he decided to lay it on thick. "Sirius Black," he intoned, "allow me to introduce my beautiful fiancée, Fleur Delacour. Fleur, meet my godfather, Sirius Black."

Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "Why, it's a pleasure to meet you, Madame," he said with a suave bow that did not at all match his starved, escaped-convict look. Then he paused for a moment, turning thoughtful, before– "Any relation to Sebastian Delacour?"