Against Authority

The patronus opened its beak, and Fleur's melodious voice filled the chamber.

"Harry... We've got a problem. Meet me in my room as soon as you can," the message delivered, the silvery hummingbird dissolved into wisps of light, leaving Harry with a sense of foreboding.

Without hesitation, he dampened his senses and flashed away, not even bothering to close the tome he was studying or stand up.

The flames engulfed Harry's vision, a familiar sensation of warmth washing over him as he travelled through the ethereal pathways of phoenix fire.

In an instant, the world around him shifted, the library fading away to be replaced by the soft hues of Fleur's room.

Being able to disappear despite his current position was a hard-earned skill, hammered into him through exhausting hours under Fawkes' gaze…

His eyes scanned the room as he extended his senses again, searching for any signs of danger.

He had immediately noticed Fleur sitting on her bed, her face etched with worry.

The usual sparkle in her blue eyes was dimmed, replaced by something else.

'Fear,' Harry realised with a start.

The emotion was so foreign on Fleur's face that it took him a moment to recognise.

She looked up as Harry materialised, relief briefly flashing across her features before the tightness in her features returned full force.

"Fleur, what happened?" Harry asked directly, his voice laced with concern.

He was momentarily overwhelmed by fear as well, but he quickly pushed it aside.

Someone had to remain calm after all.

Harry moved closer to Fleur, his emerald eyes searching her face for any clue about what could have upset her so much.

He sat down next to her, gently taking her hand in his.

Fleur was quiet for a long moment, her fingers twisting nervously on her lap.

Harry could feel her hesitation, the weight of something unspoken pressing down on the space between them.

His mind raced, but before he could open his mouth again, she looked up at him, blue eyes swimming with worry.

"I just came from Madame Maxime's office," she finally said, her voice small.

Harry frowned as he remembered the headmistress searching for Fleur in the morning, waiting for her to continue.

The words that followed hit him like a punch to the gut.

"She told me to stop seeing you."

Silence.

Fleur started fidgeting while Harry's brain took a pause, trying to process his girlfriend's news.

He didn't know where to begin to process this unexpected turn of events. He knew Madame Maxime could be strict, and a bitch, but this seemed extreme.

"What exactly did she say?" he asked and his voice dropped.

The 'why' went unasked.

Harry felt a surge of anger and protectiveness wash over him.

How dare the woman try to interfere in their relationship?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before Fleur's reply.

Fleur's face tensed as she remembered the conversation.

"She said our relationship was a distraction from the tournament and that it could compromise the integrity of the competition. Madame Maxime threatened to remove me from Beauxbatons, but I called her bluff," Fleur said.

"Bullshit."

Harry caught himself smiling briefly during Fleur's recounting, but his fists clenched as he imagined the scene.

The thought of Madame Maxime threatening Fleur made his blood boil, yet he couldn't help but feel proud that Fleur had stood her ground.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly which got him an appreciative smile in return,

"I zen told her, very clearly that I wouldn't let anyone dictate my personal life, especially not her when she had already tricked me once," Fleur's grip on Harry's hand tightened, her voice hardening.

Harry's expression matched her own as he nodded in agreement.

"Entering you into the tournament without your consent was already a gross overreach of her authority. Now she's trying to control your personal life too?" Harry's voice was low, barely containing his anger.

Fleur flinched back at Harry's sudden raise of voice, breaking their hold.

To her credit though, she immediately tried to hide it but…

"Shit."

"Harry, it's-" Fleur tried to say but was ultimately cut off.

"No, Fleur. It's not okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you…" Harry said guiltily and looked away.

An awkward silence fell between them.

"What do you want to do?" he asked after a moment, still not meeting her gaze.

If it were up to him, he'd ignore the woman as he continued to do with the meddling old goat.

However, it wasn't up to him.

Fleur took his arm, prompting Harry to look up.

'Beautiful,' he absentmindedly noted as he met her eyes.

There was a fierce determination there, a fire that burned brightly despite everything.

"I won't let her intimidate me, Harry. We've come too far together to let someone else's misguided concerns tear us apart," she finished with conviction.

Harry felt a surge of pride and love for Fleur.

'Love,' Harry thought, the word echoing in his mind and the newfound clarity he had felt in the night returned full force.

Harry pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a protective embrace.

As he held her in his arms, feeling the subtle rise and fall of her breath against his chest, Harry's thoughts spiralled.

He knew his feelings for Fleur were strong—stronger than he'd ever felt for anyone else.

But now, the thought of losing her, of having someone else pull them apart… it gave him another perspective.

It made things much more real.

This wasn't just attraction or admiration.

The feelings he felt were frightening in their intensity, but also something he couldn't imagine living without, not again.

"We're in this together," Harry whispered and the softness of his voice surprised Fleur, and even himself…

"Fleur, I -"

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