Champions

Fleurs Sorrow

They say that ignorance is bliss, and Fleur could not disagree with the sentiment. She felt bad for cornering Harry as she had two days prior, but after hearing the Dursleys mentioned in the interview – and gathering that Dumbledore was involved with them somehow – she could not stop herself. And now she knew beyond doubt what his childhood was like, and was horrified.

Of course, it had not all been Harry's doing. She recognized early on that he had not truly said much – only enough to confirm her suspicions, and to clue her in that he was still deeply affected by his past – but rather than press him for details, she had spoken with her father. And what she learned was far worse than anything she could have imagined.

After trying to dissuade her, he finally gave in and told her some of what he witnessed in Vernon's mind. Tale after tale of slavery and torture flowed from his mouth, and she found herself wondering how Harry could even have survived it. Her only consolation was that her father flat out refused to show her the memories – which she was now very thankful for after hearing the stories.

How anyone could live through that, and still be as kind and gentle as Harry, was a complete mystery to her. It only underscored how special he was, and just what Fate had blessed her with in their upcoming marriage. She no longer had any doubt that he would give her a happy life; it was simply who he was, down to his very soul.

But that left her wondering what exactly Fate was giving him in return.

Near as she could tell, she was getting the better end of the deal by far. Sure, she was beautiful, and perhaps even smart, but that was the only special thing about her. She did not have the same noble streak that he did, nor his unparalleled strength and bravery. She was just an ordinary person with a lot of social baggage.

Harry deserved so much more, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her only alternative was to accept death, and that was no longer an option. She was rapidly coming to the conclusion that she was actually willing to do so for his sake – which frightened her – but her death would utterly destroy him, simply because knew that he could have prevented it.

His whole life had been stolen away from him from the very beginning. After losing his parents, he was placed in a home that was not merely loveless, but instead full of hatred toward him. He had no pleasure in his childhood like most children did, and it was a miracle that those people had not outright killed him, to hear her father tell it.

And now he was having his future stolen away as well, and that did not sit well with her, especially since she was the one who was stealing it. Never would he have the opportunity to go out in the world and find love for himself. Never would he have the joy capturing the heart of some lucky woman. He no longer had a choice.

He would already be married when his friends were out cavorting in bars and taverns, "chasing tail" as the Muggles would say. He would be facing family issues while they lived carefree lives, and would only be able to watch from the sidelines. His fate was sealed, his choices made for him by some unfeeling cosmic force.

Fleur would offer him everything she could, but would it ever be enough to make up for what he was sacrificing?

These thoughts had been running through her head for two days now, and she couldn't shake them. It was all she could do to keep them off her face during meals, which were almost the only times she could see him. So far her efforts appeared to have been successful, but she wouldn't have been surprised if Harry knew that something was bothering her; he was perceptive that way.

Nothing was different when Friday morning rolled around, and once again she did her best to push her dark thoughts to the side as she approached the table for breakfast.