Censure

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In this world, it became clear pretty quickly who Harry Potter's most important companion was. It's not the extravagant House elf, who settled into his new place monstrously quickly and had already taken away Ricky's right to cook dinner within a couple of hours of our absence. And it wasn't even the beautiful bride clinging tightly to my shoulder. No. Harry Potter's main companion, despite his young age, was wine. It was warming me from the inside out, relieving not only the cold of the seaside, but also the nervous tension.

- You've changed a lot, Harry. - Fleur and I were sitting in the living room of the mansion, discussing what had happened. - And it's your character I'm talking about now. Before, you never had half measures and you always went all the way. Now I was standing next to you and I didn't know what to think. One moment I thought you were going to try to kill Black. The next, I thought you were going to forgive him. And in the end, you just left him lying there tied up. In the hope that he'd die of a cold?

She looks at me carefully, and it's clear that the answer is really important to her. I don't think her attitude towards me will change, but if she doesn't know what to expect from me in any given situation, her life will become a lot more complicated.

- Oh, come on, Fleur. Nothing's gonna happen to him. Obviously Dumbledore sent him on a reconnaissance mission as soon as he found out what happened. When Sirius doesn't make contact, he'll be released immediately. In the meantime, he has time to lie down and think about everything he's heard. It's a long shot, but what if his mind starts to move? I don't plan on forgiving him. I don't want a man like that around me. Kill him? Probably not either. I can't just kill a man, no matter how much pain he's caused me. So I'm left with half measures. Of course, there might be Reavers out there again, but Riddle wasn't confident enough to risk his men.

Veela relaxed a little at that answer. The interesting thing is that I wasn't lying. Of course, two of my views on the same event had also intervened, but both were satisfied. I'd both told Black what I thought of him and done little harm. I could say that the meeting had gone rather well. However, it probably wouldn't have any effect on future developments. It was enough for Sirius to meet with Dumbledore to have all the seeds of doubt sown instantly blown out of his head. Well, that's fine.

- So what do you plan to do next? - Fleur seemed to be seriously considering a life together. - 'Now you'll be hunted not only by your parents' murderer, but by Dumbledore himself, along with the whole Order. I heard what you said to Sirius. It was wise, but, it seemed to me, completely useless. - She came to the same conclusions I did.

- Firstly, I need to thank your father and godfather for their help. Without them, I'm afraid things would have ended far from well.

At that moment, the aforementioned men were just entering the living room, and I voiced my thoughts immediately, thanking them for saving me from more trouble.

- No problem, Harry," Sebastian stretched out, filling glasses for himself and Bernard and taking a seat in a nearby chair. - I'm a little disappointed, though. - Seeing my surprised look, he continued: - no, from Bernard's words, you fought quite well. Suffice it to mention non-verbal sorcery, which, as far as I know the Hogwarts programme, you're not supposed to be trained in yet. But your impulsive behaviour, or as my British colleagues like to say, Gryffindor behaviour, deserves special attention. You didn't even think about the fact that you might run into someone you shouldn't. After all, the Eaters might as well have kept a watch in case you turned up. And Dumbledore would be guaranteed to check out the house of someone he'd recently offered to join his Order. Given that we're almost family, and my daughter will now be one of the main targets, I feel it's within my rights to point out your mistakes and try to keep you from making them in the future.

I think I blushed a little. Bernard, who shook his head in confirmation of what he had heard, was not happy. So you're happy to have a new family, and you've forgotten that the family can tell you off. But they're right. I'd told myself hours ago that I was done with rash actions, and now I was falling for Harry's impulsiveness again.

- You're right, it was reckless of me. And you're also right to point that out. Unfortunately, I overestimated my powers. I don't want to think what would have happened if Black hadn't been alone, or if we'd been ambushed by the Lord's servants. I'm sorry I put Fleur in danger. - Something tells me I'll be saying that line more than once.

- Apology accepted. - Sebastian was silent for a few moments, concentrating on his own glass. - As much as I'd like to, I can't make you two stay out of England. Perhaps it would make sense for you two to be apart for a while. - At that phrase, Fleur squeezed my hand with such force that I cringed a little. That didn't go unnoticed by Sebastian, and he grinned unhappily. - Relax, daughter. I realise it's impossible. However, I also realise that the situation cannot be left in its current state. If it so happens that my family is involved in the British conflict, I will have to take a direct part in it.

I was about to fall through the floor. Harry Potter alone was enough to put a happy French family in the crosshairs of an English psychopath. At my incoherent mumblings about how sorry I was, Sebastian just waved his hand.

- Come on, Harry. With the way things are going over there, I'm afraid I'd have to do it sooner or later anyway. After all, as you may have noticed, I have a rather high position. I'm head of the International Co-operation Division of the French Ministry of Magic. - On the one hand, that answered a lot of questions, but on the other hand, I didn't fully understand how a diplomat from the office was going to get involved in a war. - From the look in your eyes, I can roughly see what you're thinking. Mol, how would a politician be able to help and where would he get his own men that he could send somewhere at any time. - When I just nodded, he continued:

- The fact is that this position requires me to keep a close eye on all external conflicts that could threaten my country, and to respond quickly to such threats. I have my own small staff of aurors, and the ability to summon the necessary number of men at a moment's notice. Of course, most actions have to be coordinated with the Minister, but that is not important at the moment. What was important was that the Dark Lord's rise had threatened France before, as the closest country to Britain, and now that Fleur was involved, the threat was much more real. It's time for action, and I plan to start with my own family, which, if you don't mind, includes you, Harry.

I didn't know how to react to such a revelation. I was struggling with several feelings at once: pride that one of the most powerful men in France considered me part of his family, joy that he wasn't angry and wasn't going to separate Fleur and me, fear for my loved ones, anger at Riddle and Dumbledore for putting us in this situation, and more. As a result, I couldn't say anything intelligible, but Sebastian didn't seem to need to.

- I take it you don't mind. - I shook my head negatively. - That's fine. I need to talk to Apolline and ask her and Gaby to go to her grandmother's for a while. And you, Bernard," he looked at Fleur's godfather, who had been sitting and listening intently to the conversation, "I'll ask you to take care of the training.

The man nodded as if he hadn't expected anything else, and I looked at all three of them in surprise.

- Come on, Harry," Fleur said, "I know you and I have had a lot of training during the tournament, and we're capable of standing up for ourselves, but your godfather is one of the best aurors in France, and he'll be a great help.

- Ah, um, um, good. - I'm surprisingly cooperative today.

The men left the room and went about their business without making any sensible comments, satisfied with Fleur's phrase. I, on the other hand, tried to stop the jumble of incoherent thoughts in my head and bring some semblance of order to them. My future father-in-law is literally responsible for deciding whether France should enter the war. I will be trained by one of France's finest aurors. I got more help in one day in France than I did in fifteen years in England.

Is Dumbledore's influence really that strong? Or are British wizards so stagnant that they're willing to put the whole country's problems on the shoulders of one teenager. Both, I suppose. An utterly worthless country where good people are drowning under a pile of unimportant mediocrities. How nice it would be to forget about England once and for all, letting it sink into its own problems. To relieve myself of the burden. I certainly don't owe these people anything. Actually, I do. I owe them fifteen years of torment for the way they treated me.

The last thought made me wince. It sounded pretty bloodthirsty. However, as badly as I feel about England, I can't wish anything bad on most of the inhabitants. Perhaps one day they may realise that if they want to live in a better country, it will take a little more effort from themselves. But I can't just leave things as they are. A megalomaniacal half-breed who calls himself by a long and intimidating name will not leave me alone and will pursue me, of that I have no doubt. And even if he isn't, I'm not going to live my whole life in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder. I've got to get it over with. Ah, yes, there's one more thing - Death won't let me stay away.

Fleur stroked my arm soothingly and rested her head on my shoulder.

- 'Don't hold it all in, Harry. I understand that you're having a hard time, you don't know what to do next and you blame yourself, but you're not alone.

- So you realised I didn't have a plan? - I wasn't surprised. This girl is incredibly smart, but she doesn't flaunt it like an ex-girlfriend of mine.

- I'm your fiancée after all," she was almost insulted, "I can see you rushing around and not giving yourself a break, but you can't predict what's going to happen. Stop running, Harry. We'll get through this together. My father will help us, you heard him. And we're not going to make any hasty, rash decisions," Fleur poked me accusingly in the chest.

- You're right, love, as always. - I pulled her closer and buried my nose in her hair. - There's no rush anymore. Let's take things slowly, and get rid of all the worries that keep us from living happily ever after.

No more rushing? Harry Potter has never been so close to failure.