CH 59

Fleur carefully tucked her letter to Gabrielle into her uniform and reached for her wand.

Casting the disillusionment charm she snuck out of the carriage, slipping between Caroline and Emilie when they opened the door. It was much easier for her to remain unseen, especially with the Christmas celebrations approaching. The fact that she had to attend and thus needed a date was the sole major detractor of her status as champion.

Hogwarts' Owlery was at the top of another grey, dreary tower about ten minutes walk from the Beauxbatons' carriage. She hoped that like her school the school provided owls with which to send letters. Her family owl could not be spared to fly between herself and Gabrielle all the time when they were such a distance apart.

The Owlery at the tower top was not the neat, elegant birdcage of Beauxbatons. The room was full of thick, wooden beams and worn perches. A smell of sour bird droppings and musty, dry wood hung like smoke throughout the building. Fleur was hardly surprised. The Birdcage was one of the tallest, most graceful parts of the chateaux in the Pyrenees; it would not find its equal in this land of clouds and rain.

She sniffed very quietly and tip-toed though the open door into the centre of the room. Fleur had learned to move quiet stealthily with her constant use of the charm. Disillusioning something did nothing to conceal any sound it made, so it was necessary for her to be light-footed and careful if she did not want to be discovered.

Fleur did not want to be discovered. She knew the minute she was seen outside of the tasks or theBeauxbatons' carriage she would immediately be the target of every male student who hoped to attend the Yule Ball that accompanied the Triwizard Tournament.

'That is a very good disillusionment charm,' somebody remarked from behind her with a hint of admiration and amusement. It only took Fleur a moment to remember the person attached to the voice.

He only notices me when I am invisible.

It was absurd. Nothing about Harry Potter ever seemed to be as she expected.

'Thank you,' she replied a little stiffly, dispelling the charm. It was evidently useless now. 'How did you notice?'

'Miss Delacour.' The boy seemed slightly surprised, but not as shocked as she had expected. 'I am aware of the weaknesses of the charm,' he explained, 'and thus capable of recognising it.'

'What are you doing up here?' Fleur asked. He was holding neither an owl nor a letter.

'Sending a letter,' he responded, raising an eyebrow at her question. 'So are you.'

'No I am not,' Fleur sighed. 'I have no owl.'

Harry Potter's expression grew thoughtful. 'Perhaps I could offer you the use of my owl?' 'Did you not just send a letter?' Unless he had two owls his offer was useless until his returned. Fleur did not really like the idea of being in his debt either, even for such a small thing, but Gabby was more important than her pride and if she had had to accept his charity she would.

'I was sending a letter to my godfather,' Harry embellished. 'For one reason or another I have not been able to contact him until now, but he sent his own owl and I returned my letter with it.'

'I did not realise you had a godfather,' Fleur admitted.

'Not many do.'

He stepped past her, taking great care not to get too close to her. Fleur appreciated that. Too many men took any opportunity to brush as closely past her as they could, something she hated even more than the stares. It did strike her, however, that the gesture seemed as much for his benefit as for her's.

A beautiful, black-speckled, snowy owl perched by the window in the far side of the tower top. It gave Harry a rather unimpressed look, then deliberately swivelled its head around to look in the other direction.

He laughed gently. 'Don't be like that Hedwig, I was going to give you a letter to deliver on behalf of an acquaintance of mine.

Is that what I am? An acquaintance.

Fleur rather felt that you had to notice a person to deem them an acquaintance, but she supposed it was accurate enough. They had sort of met and spoken, but they were certainly not friends.

Hedwig's head slowly swivelled back around to stare at her owner.

After a long moment of staring the bird hopped closer to Harry and hooted softly.

'I knew you wouldn't be able to resist,' the boy smiled.

He turned to Fleur, still smiling and held out his hand. 'Do you have the letter? She's a bit particular about who gives her the things she takes, nearly took of one of my friends fingers a year ago.' There was a a very sight emphasis on the way he said friend that gave Fleur the impression they were nowhere near as close now as they had been.

'I do.' Fleur reached inside her uniform and pulled out the now warm envelope from where it had been tucked through the strap of her bra. Hopefully Harry would not realise where she had been keeping it. It would be the first time his ability to not notice her would act in her favour.

Harry took it rather gingerly, clearly aware that it had at least been close to her, holding the uppermost corner. Fleur felt a little insulted that he was so repulsed by just her body heat.

Maybe I should just hug him should we have to confront one another during the task.

'Gabrielle Delacour,' he told Hedwig. 'It is a long way to Beauxbatons from here. You can find her?'

The bird fluffed its feathers in indignation and took off through the window without a sound.

'I shall take that as a yes,' Harry smiled. 'Your younger sister?' He asked after a moment of watching his owl fly away.

'Yes,' Fleur answered, quite curious as to how he had known. It was possible that the young wizard had been researching his rivals just as she had been looking into him.

'She attends school, but is not here at the tournament,' he seemed to have sensed her query, 'if she is anything like you she would be here were she older or a twin.'

Fleur could find no fault in his logic. 'I often write to Gabrielle,' she told him. 'She misses me when I am away.' Fleur missed her baby sister too, but she would not share something as personal as her feelings for her sister with an acquaintance.

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