A Cadmean Victory by DarknessEnthroned

89. Porcelain Perfection

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine; everything is J K Rowling's.

New chapter!

This one may continue some dark themes, not suitable for readers aged 17 or under (as if anyone will actually skip the chapter because of this warning).

Chapter 89

'Last time I was here it was Valentine's day,' Fleur remarked, eyeing Madame Puddifoot's with distaste. It was only a little less pink than when she had last seen it. There were fewer cupids, and the decorations were more tea-themed than the fluttering, winged paper hearts, but the colour scheme remained as monochromatic as ever.

'Ah,' Katie smiled, 'one visit was enough then, can't say I blame you.'

'I did not go in,' Fleur shuddered at the very thought of what Gabrielle would have said, 'this was when Harry was moping.'

Her beau shot her a betrayed look.

'Ah,' Neville grinned. 'The good times. I remember those days. There is nothing quite so strange as having someone teach you spells while a thousand pictures of Fleur are smiling down at you.'

'Not even naming your cactus after the girl you not-so-secretly have a crush on?'

'That's pretty bad,' Katie agreed, dragging Neville and Harry into Honeydukes, despite Harry's best efforts to direct their attention elsewhere.

For once we agree, Katie, Fleur thought, happily following the three in, pausing to eye the sugar crystals by the door.

She found Harry openly laughing at Neville who was buried beneath half a dozen boxes of firewhiskey chocolates, and artfully dodging any attempt made by Katie to thrust any confectionary upon him.

'Hold these, Harry,' she smiled, gently placing her armful of sugar crystals into his arms from behind.

'Damn,' he sighed, resignedly shouldering his burden to Neville's glee.

'You didn't think I would come in here and not buy something, did you?'

'I was hoping today might be an exception,' he chuckled, 'but I suppose I should be grateful you are not like Katie.'

Yes, Fleur agreed silently, you should. Try explaining your hobby of creating rituals to her.

Neville, who's glee had turned to horror when Katie had returned with a life-size, chocolate bowtruckle, was wrestling heatedly with the animated chocolate.

'It's worse than Trevor,' he groaned, when the chocolate creature was finally subdued, and imprisoned within a flimsy looking box.

'I'm going to eat it alive,' Katie beamed, earning an odd look from the assistant who quickly moved on to the next aisle.

'We should move on,' Harry warned, still smiling at the assistant's reaction to Katie, 'Neville's gran will come to apparate him back home for Christmas soon.'

'She is still apparating around at her age?' Katie inquired, surprised.

'There's not much that will stop Gran,' Neville grinned. 'I pity Voldemort should he ever try and mess with her, but Harry's right,' he eyed the bowtruckle, which was suspiciously still, 'we do need to move on to the Three Broomsticks if we're ever going to have this talk Harry's been promising.'

'Or we could have it here,' Katie suggested, catching sight of the unguarded free samples.

'There's nobody else in this part of the shop,' Fleur remarked, 'it's likely quieter than the pub.'

'See,' Katie grinned cheerfully from beside the samples, 'Fleur knows better than to pass up free sweets.'

'She also has better sense than to eat all of the alcoholic ones,' Harry reminded the brunette. Katie's hand froze over the sample tray, a guilty expression plastered over her face. 'But we can talk here,' he glanced around, and Fleur caught the subtle shimmer of the silencing ward he cast, 'nobody will hear us.'