Chapter One - Can I Try That Again?

Gabrielle smiled to herself. Today would be her day. She had it all carefully plotted out: she had assembled an outfit that would make her look a bit older and mature, she had found a new way to do up her hair, and she had even worked on properly aspirating English words. Gabrielle was sure she would be able to catch Harry's eye again. Only this time it would not be as a forgotten hostage at the bottom of a lake in a stupid game. Gabrielle was confident enough to head down to the Weasley breakfast table still dressed in her favorite housecoat. It was comfortable, and there was no way she was going to risk her outfit - particularly if she ended up sitting across from her future brother-in-law Ron and his atrocious manners.

Gabrielle had just come into the kitchen, and noticed with some annoyance that the first morning she was not dressed was the first morning all heads turned toward her. "Bon Matin!" Gabrielle smiled to the turned faces, trying to light up the room as her older sister was able to do. The fact that even Ron went back to breakfast with a muttered greeting meant that it had not worked.

"Good morning to you, Gabrielle dear," Mrs. Weasley greeted her. "Would you like some toast and, er, coffee is it?"

"Yes, merci," Gabrielle nodded. She gave her sister a questioning look. The table was more crowded than it normally was. Were even more wedding guests going to be staying here?

"It eez okay Gabrielle - I believe zey sought 'Arry would be coming down," Fleur whispered. Gabrielle froze reaching for the marmalade.

"Oi, maybe we shouldn't have sent Ginny after him then!" laughed Fred.

"We can give him a bit of a lie-in after the late night flying. Another five should do it, then we can try out the new, er..." trailed George, who finally notice Mrs. Weasley's glare.

"(He is here?)" Gabrielle whispered to her sister Fleur.

"Oh yes. 'Arry arrived early for the, er, (security)" replied Fleur with just a bit of a laugh in her voice. A laugh Gabrielle knew was at her expense.

Gabrielle lifted her robe sleeve from her sister's toast, which was thickly spread with jam - unusual for Fleur. She turned to her sister and whispered more forcefully, "(He is here? Now?)" Gabrielle stood suddenly when her sister said nothing but smiled. "(You knew! Why did you not tell me?)" Fleur smiled a bit wider at that, a smug smile in Gabrielle's opinion. Gabrielle looked down at her housecoat. It was her favorite of course, but it was also faded and worn and even a little frayed at the bottom where it used to drag when she was shorter. And there was the reddish purple spot from the jam. It was not what she wanted to wear for meeting Harry again. It did not announce the new Gabrielle. It was not her plan.

A thump from above pulled Gabrielle's attention back to the present. With high-pitched angry growl, Gabrielle bolted for the kitchen door ignoring the many exclamations. She could make it back upstairs before Harry came down. Gabrielle barreled through the door at full speed, grabbing the jamb to swing herself toward the stairs. This maneuver, well practiced at the Delacour manor house much to Maman's displeasure, gave Gabrielle maximum speed up the stairs. It did not give her much opportunity to avoid the people already on those stairs, as the Weasley's stairs were much closer to the door than the stairs at home. As Gabrielle rocketed upward she slammed into the tall body jumping down the last few steps. Gabrielle let out a gasp as the air was driven from her lungs, ricocheted into the bannister with a solid crack, and finally smacked her head on the floor as she finished her backward arc.

It was a few seconds before Gabrielle realized how much pain she felt. She squeezed her eyes shut - the room was spinning a bit, and felt around to the back of her head. It had hit the ground really hard and Gabrielle was wondering if she needed to perhaps hold her brain in. The feeling of something running down her neck alerted Gabrielle to the fact that she was also bleeding. She definitely felt dizzy now, and she could really use her Maman. Someone was shouting something, but it sounded funny.

"Episky! Are you all right Gabrielle?" asked a voice she couldn't quite place. Gabrielle was glad for the healing spell as the possibility of bleeding to death was now gone. On the other hand, she was sure she felt something squashy and moist in her hair. She had dashed her brains out! Maman had warned her about this.

"Gabrielle? Can you hear me?" asked the voice.

Gabrielle opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The dizzy feeling swept her up, and her vision started to tunnel in as she looked into the concerned, bright green eyes. The voice had been Harry's, the healing spell had been his too. She could see her sister and the other Weasleys filling in behind him.

His eyes are the same color as the pickled toads in the new jar Maman just brought home, wondered Gabrielle, just before the whole scene grayed. I wonder if he knows this, she thought as she lost consciousness.

v - v - v - v - v

Gabrielle opened her eyes, blinking at the light. An older woman pulled away her wand.

"There Miss Delacour, feeling a bit better now?" Gabrielle recognized the woman as the healer she had met at the TriWizard tournament. Her voice sounded muffled though. The healer had a French sounding name... Pomfrey, that was it.

"I am Madam Pomfrey, the healer at Hogwarts. I'm not sure you remember me..."

"I do remember - we met at zee TriWizard tournament," Gabrielle said. Thinking back to her injuries, Gabrielle asked, "I did not lose zee brain, did I?"

That brought a chuckle from Madam Pomfrey, "No dear, although your mother expected the very same when we contacted her. No, no lasting harm was done. The headache will go and your ear will be as good as new. All you need is some rest."

"My ear?" Gabrielle wondered, reaching up to discover the wad of bandages on the side of her head.

"Yes. It was badly cut and swelling when I got here, although Mr Potter had stopped the bleeding before bringing you back up here," Pomfrey replied.

Wonderful, thought Gabrielle, just the same helpless little girl in need of rescue.

"I'm afraid I'm all out of the Bruise-Be-Gone unction - perhaps Molly still has some. Raising all those boys - you can hardly go without it," continued the medi-witch. "The bruising on your face will fade naturally, of course, but I can pop round perhaps tomorrow with some if Molly is short. You should rest your head today. And do be more careful on the stairs. Your mother says the same."

Resting seemed reasonable to Gabrielle, whose head was beginning to hurt trying to concentrate on Madam Pomfrey's English. Gabrielle closed her eyes again as Madam Pomfrey left and her sister entered.

"(That was quite the display this morning Gabrielle. You certainly turned heads and grabbed their attention.)" Fleur chided. Fleur, in Gabrielle's opinion, spoke about getting attention way too much. It was a not too subtle insult of Gabrielle's weak attempts to use the Veela heritage she was supposedly born with. Gabrielle knew she was a quarter Veela from her Grandmere's side, but she did not seem to have any special allure. Especially not when compared to Fleur, a comparison Fleur liked to make. Perhaps her quarter of Veela didn't include her face.

"(Madame Pomfrey said all you needed was some rest. Are you feeling better?)" asked Gabrielle's sister as she stepped to the bed. "(Oh my God! Gabrielle - your face. It is horrible! And my wedding is only five days from now. You are such a silly little girl! Your childish behavior has ruined things again!)" shouted Fleur. Gabrielle sighed as her older sister began her tirade. Gabrielle knew that 'The List' would soon be recited. Fleur was like Gabrielle's personal photo album, recording every humiliation in detail so she could remind Gabrielle why she would always be the 'silly little girl' and should listen to her advice. The only reason to pay anymore attention was morbid curiosity as to which incident would be dredged up. Perhaps it would be the time when she was five and convinced herself she had Dragon Pox. She nearly poisoned herself trying to concoct a potion for treatment, making Fleur miss a birthday party while the healers forced her to vomit. Or maybe it would be the 'Floo Fiasco' when she was seven. Using the extra handful of floo powder she had sneaked, while already in the network, had not given her the extra speed she had expected. It had blown out fourteen hearths, including the Delacour hearth, putting a serious dent into Fleur's social life and her into hospital. Gabrielle was still doing chores twice a year to thank Madam Chouisse for taking care of her after shooting from the ruined Chouisse hearth into the wall.

Ah, thought Gabrielle, something more recent: the 'Coffee Caper'. Gabrielle had slipped away from her sister while shopping in muggle Paris and had a wonderful coffee in a small coffeehouse. Fleur's frantic search had cut short her shopping trip, as Gabrielle had dallied too long and had not made it back before Fleur had finished thoroughly ransacking the boutique, leaving with nothing yet again.

Gabrielle suddenly noticed Fleur had paused and was looking at her. "(Eh... I am sorry?)" Gabrielle tried.

Fleur exploded again, "(You are not even paying attention! I should have made you a flower girl and not a bridesmaid. That way your absence would cause less upheaval.)"

"(What?)" gasped Gabrielle. Maybe she should have paid more more attention to Fleur after all.

"(You silly little girl, I can not have such a mangled face in my wedding party. You are ugly.)" scolded Fleur.

"(What about Bill?)" asked Gabrielle, and instantly regretted her thoughtless words.

Fleur pulled out her wand and cast a silencing charm on Gabrielle, and a none too gentle slapping charm. "(My William is a warrior, a curse-breaker. He stood between silly children like yourself and that vile creature Frenrir. You will respect and honor his scars because he got them serving the greater good, not while trying to impress 'Arry Potter.)" Fleur turned her back on Gabrielle, "(I expect some sign of atonement to William,)" as she closed the door behind her.

Well that was stupid of me, thought Gabrielle, why did I say that? Maybe she will believe it was the lump on my head talking.

A short time later there was a knock on her door. Gabrielle tried to ask who it was, but as the silencing spell had not worn off it was no use.

"Gabrielle? I thought I'd just see how you were doing."

It was Harry. Could I look anymore ridiculous, Gabrielle wondered? She was lying in bed with an ugly face, a huge wad of gauze on her ear, and no ability to speak. The door started to open, and Gabrielle feigned sleep.

With her eyes closed Gabrielle heard Harry come into the room. "Oh, umm, sorry," he murmured. Gabrielle hoped he would leave directly, but she could hear the scrape of the chair when he sat down. Gabrielle would have rolled over while pretending to sleep to face away from him, but the grotesque mass of bandages on her ear prevented that. She tried to remember whether the chair next to the bed was comfortable or not. If I survive this day, thought Gabrielle, I will leave tomorrow. Fleur will remove me from the wedding party and I will return home until the wedding day.

Gabrielle heard the door open again and someone came in. She hoped it was not Fleur coming to further vent her anger.

"'Lo again Harry, how is she doing?" It was Ginny - Gabrielle was sharing her room.

"I think she's sleeping. Pomfrey said she would need rest, but she was conscious before," Harry reported. Gabrielle heard something being placed on the table next to the bed, and then a good bit of rustling.

"Gin - what're you doing?" whispered Harry.

"I've missed you," she said simply. The quiet sounds that followed were familiar to Gabrielle from Bill's visits to Fleur at Delacour Manor, and she blushed a little at the thought.

"Ginny, I've missed you over the summer too. But, I meant what I said at... at the funeral. We can't be together - it would be too much to worry about," whispered Harry. It didn't sound like Ginny had moved though, and they were apparently kissing again. Gabrielle opened one eye the tiniest slit. Yes, they were kissing all right. She closed her eyes again, but not before Ginny had smiled at her.

"So we're not together. That doesn't mean I have to ignore you when we're alone," replied Ginny.

"We're not alone now Ginny. We're never alone here, really. We can't not be together - um, I mean - look, if we are not a couple then you can't go snogging me whenever you get a chance. Someone will see us and it might get back to the bloody Death Eaters and Voldemort," whispered Harry. Gabrielle barely contained her startle at the name.

"You know, Harry, these arguments would mean more if they came before the snogging and not after. Oh don't make that face - just a few more and I'll stop," chided Ginny. By the sounds of it, Gabrielle was pretty sure Harry had agreed.

"Gin - I know it'll be rough on the both of us," began Harry.

"Shush Harry," Ginny interrupted, "it makes you feel better, and I know it makes me feel better. After everything that's happened, with everything to come - well, if it is all I can do then it's enough."

"You know we can't have more now, maybe not for years..." said Harry.

"So I'll wait," replied Ginny. "Now, let me get on with fixing up Gabrielle."

"Should you wake her? Madame Pomfrey said she should rest."

"When doesn't Pomfrey think that you should rest? Anyway, she isn't sleeping."

"What? She hasn't moved since I came in!" whispered Harry. "How can you tell?"

"Sleeping people don't blush. Don't worry Harry, she's fine. Just a bit embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? About what?"

"Nevermind. Oh, and since the ministry didn't send an owl before, can you give us a quick Finite Incantatum?"

"Caught that did you? Scrimgeour is still trying to look busy. All right then," said Harry as he pulled out his wand. "Finite Incantatum."

"Thanks. If Gabrielle is up for it, we'll see you downstairs for lunch," called Ginny as Harry backed out of the door. "Now then, Gabrielle, shall we get started?"

With a sigh, at last audible, Gabrielle opened her eyes and sat up.

"I am sorry," Gabrielle said. Ginny opened the larger tin on the bedside table and started rubbing Gabrielle's face with a thick concoction that alternately felt warm and cold on her skin.

"No need to be sorry. The second time I saw Harry was in that same kitchen, in my nightdress, and I turned and ran too. Although for me it was butter and not jam," replied Ginny. She started pulling sticky bandages from Gabrielle's ear. "I was so embarrassed by myself that I couldn't even speak around him for years, and he's my brother's best mate so Harry was around a lot."

"I wanted him to see ze new me. Not zee little girl."

"So - you're a Harry Potter fan then?"

"Yes. No. Eh.." Gabrielle knew what Ginny was asking. She had no dreams of romance, she was too young. She only started Beauxbatons in the fall! How could she make Ginny understand? "I wanted Harry to know zat his work at ze lake became somezing. Zat is all."

Ginny thought about that a bit. "You mean when Harry pulled you from the lake during the TriWizard tournament? But you knew you were in no danger." She began rubbing the green paste from the second tin on Gabrielle's swollen ear.

"Yes. But it did mean a lot to me. I was ze forgotten hostage, ze lost hostage. So zee stranger, one who did not love me, took up ze burden of me. As if zee stranger saw more to me zan ze ozzers, and I was worz zee saving," explained Gabrielle. "Have you felt zat way?"

Ginny stopped smearing paste on Gabrielle's ear. Her eyes seemed to lose focus when she replied. "Uh, yeah. I, um, have felt that way." Ginny turned back to the table.

"Can you tell me about it?" asked Gabrielle interestedly.

"Oh, it's a long story." Turning back to Gabrielle, Ginny asked, "Why was Fleur so upset with you?"

"Zat is not a long story. I made my face ugly when I fell and ruined Fleur's wedding. I said somezing mean about Bill, also," replied Gabrielle in a more dejected tone.

"Hmm. That would explain the silencing spell, and why you suddenly needed the Bruise-Be-Gone for both sides of your face."

"I did not mean it. I like Bill, very much," Gabrielle's frown deepened.

"Well, how about you wash that off and we'll see if we can make Fleur happy with your face again."

Gabrielle climbed out of the bed carefully, but did not feel any dizziness. She almost hoped that the unctions did not help as she would not mind not having to face Fleur all week.

"The last time I saw you and Fleur together was during the TriWizard tournament. You two seemed so attached to each other. That seems to have changed," called Ginny over the running water.

Gabrielle rubbed the last of the ointment from her ear and looked at herself in the mirror. Regardless of her previous thoughts, she was pleased to see her face looked the same as before. She used to wish she was prettier, but stopped when she realized that she couldn't really decide how much prettier she needed to be. If she couldn't know how far she was away from the goal, then it stood to reason that she couldn't know how close to the goal she was either. She might be very nearly as pretty as she needed to be! It seemed a waste of a wish to Gabrielle to want that bit more when she was counting on so many other wishes.

"When I was young, I wanted to be Fleur. I grew, and I knew I was not to be Fleur, zough she made to help. I do not have much Veela heritage. I am not a strong witch. I do not behave correctly," began Gabrielle. "Fleur zought I needed help wizz everyzing. I zought I needed to be someone else." Gabrielle came back into the room. Ginny was sitting on her own bed, brushing out her hair. Her long red shimmering hair. Another wish that Gabrielle had given up on was for her hair. The same fine, almost silvery hair that flowed around Fleur almost disappeared on Gabrielle, and she used to wish for it to be, well, something else. Then she realized she would be able to change it once she had a wand, or even the muggle way like the girls she saw near the music shops. The occasional blues and greens could not be natural! Once she was at school and out of Fleur's and Maman's sight she would try something.

"So she is disappointed that you won't be her twin?" asked Ginny.

"It was ze second task in zee TriWizard tournament. Fleur did not save me. After, she held me near. It was too much."

"I see. She was trying to protect you by smothering you. Fleur does come across as a little overbearing." Ginny went over to Gabrielle and took her face in her hands."It looks like you will be a bridesmaid after all. You didn't get any breakfast but lunch will be soon. Now, Fleur was muttering something about an outfit?"

The color drained from Gabrielle's face. How did Fleur find out about the outfit? She whirled around and ran to her trunk, opening it to fish around in a back corner. Gabrielle brought out the intricate green knife with all its folded parts.

"What's that?" asked Ginny, who was now quite curious about Gabrielle's behavior.

"My wand." Gabrielle pulled out the bit with the flat metal tab and jammed it into the bottom edge of the trunk. With a moment of prying the bottom pulled away from the side, revealing it to be a false bottom with another compartment hidden below. A compartment that appeared to be filled with dresses. "No!" cried Gabrielle, pulling up the bottom so that it jumbled the items in the top portion. She searched through the dresses at the bottom, and sagged down, head against the trunk. "No," she said again weakly. The outfit she had carefully assembled was no longer there. None of the clothes she had purchased with her allowance in muggle Paris were there. Only the high-waisted dresses that Fleur thought looked "right" on Gabrielle were packed. Rage boiled up, and Gabrielle turned to Ginny with a handful of dresses.

"(This is a perfect example of what I was telling you. Look what Fleur has decided will be the only things I wear.)" Gabrielle shook the dresses at Ginny, not realizing she was shouting in French. "(Look at this ridiculous bow and this huge collar. What girl ready to enter school is wearing stuff like this? I am not a young child and I do not want to dress like one! Fleur only sees me at the age I was during the second task. She refuses to see that I've grown and changed and that I can at least make my own decisions about clothes. All the muggle clothing that I bought because I liked it is gone. She has ruined everything for me! All because she can't believe I can think for myself! It is ridiculous!)" Gabrielle dropped the dresses and stomped back to the bed, past the stunned Ginny, and buried herself under the blankets. Fleur would have her laugh over Gabrielle's ruined plan, but she wouldn't see her cry, because Gabrielle would do that under the blankets.

"(Why is Fleur so mean?)" whispered Gabrielle under the sheets as her tears wet her sleeve. "(What did I do this time?)" Fleur, thought Gabrielle, was always very up-front about why she felt Gabrielle needed to be punished. But what was Fleur getting back at her for? Was it the 'Coffee Caper'? Maman had already meted out punishment for that when Fleur had informed her. Being grounded for two weeks and having her 'muggle junk' confiscated seemed more than harsh enough to Gabrielle.

After several minutes Gabrielle felt the bed move beside her. She had forgotten Ginny in her anguish, and was going to tell Ginny to go to lunch without her. She really didn't want to see anyone right now.

"Come on Gabrielle, come out and tell me what's wrong," said Ginny has she gently rubbed Gabrielle's back. She called to Gabrielle soothingly for several minutes. Gabrielle sighed, it seemed Ginny was not going to be put off. Gabrielle suspected that was from the way she had to deal with Harry. All that kissing in between talk of breaking up - Gabrielle wanted to know what that was about.

Emerging from beneath the blankets, Gabrielle sniffed and said, "She took my favorite clothes." Well, didn't that make her sound mature?

"Ah. You mean these adorable little dresses aren't what you want Harry to see you in?"

Gabrielle lifted her eyes to Ginny with a look of pure horror. Ginny could barely keep a straight face. "You did not mean it," said a relieved Gabrielle.

"What kind of clothes were you going to bring? If they annoy Fleur so much maybe I could wear something like them too," laughed Ginny.

"You wear zem now. Zee clothes I like are muggle. I had a pair of denims that fit well, a green blouse, and a, eh, (ivory chemise). It was not fancy. Only ze clothes, zey were correct for my age" moped Gabrielle. "I bought zem at a Paris market." Well, thought Gabrielle, at least in a year or two they would be correct.

"Huh. Well if you don't mind hand-me-downs, I'm sure we have some muggle style clothes that might fit you."

"You do?" Gabrielle brightened considerably. She wasn't sure what Ginny meant in the first part, but if Ginny had some muggle stuff she could wear, then maybe she could best Fleur yet.

Not more than thirty minutes later, Gabrielle was headed back to the kitchen with Ginny. She was feeling a lot more confident. The Weasley attic was full of normal clothes without bows, bib-like collars, and lace trimming. Ginny had found a pair of denims that fit her. Even though they were not as form-fitting as the pair she had bought for her outfit, they did show that she wasn't exactly a little girl. It was too bad there was a rip right across the left knee. Ginny had also found a green jumper that fit quite snugly, but in the end Gabrielle had chosen a "Weasley" jumper over it. While it was not as tight as the green one, and it wasn't like she had anything for the tightness to show, she just felt better somehow wearing it. It was an interesting jumper, too. The arms seemed to have been stretched out, or the torso was too short. Thus the arms were bunched up at the sleeve, but if Gabrielle lifted her arms the jumper rode up to show her belly button. It was the kind of thing she could envision the older girls of Paris wearing for flirting. "Be sure to tell Mum you like her handiwork," Ginny said. "A little gratitude from a Delacour will help her survive the wedding day," Ginny muttered to herself.

They entered the kitchen, Ginny calling out, "We're here Mum."

"Oh, Gabrielle dear, should you be up? Madame Pomfrey did want you to rest," said Mrs. Weasley as she backed into the eating area carrying a platter of meats and cheeses. "I could bring you up a... What are you wearing?" she said, staring at the transformed girl.

"Ginny said you made zis. Zis is true?" asked Gabrielle. She pirouetted once and said, "It is very nice zough it is old. Except for zis hole." Gabrielle twisted the jumper around her waist and poked a finger through what looked like a burn hole. "I like it very much."

Mrs. Weasley had a far-away look in her eyes, and didn't seem to know what to make of Gabrielle. Gabrielle pulled the front of the jumper tight across her chest and announced, "G is for Gabrielle, ne c'est pas?"

"What's this? Have I been replaced?" asked George. The twins sat across from Harry and Ron, entertaining themselves by flicking small balls of bread at the others. Ginny sat down next to Harry, but, Gabrielle noticed, they didn't greet each other with a kiss like Bill and Fleur.

"Wouldn't think so," said Fred. "Your model is a right classic."

"Still, wouldn't be a bad choice," considered George.

"Excellent potential for chaos, that one."

"Using up the Bruise-Be-Gone - just like old times."

"The Deranged Delacour. It's always the quiet ones."

"Shut it you two," warned Mrs. Weasley as she delivered the platter. "Don't embarrass her."

Gabrielle had turned at the sound of her name, still showing off her G. She gave those seated at the table a bright smile, "Bon Jour!". Ginny waved her over. Maybe it was her imagination, but one of the twins couldn't seem to look away. Did I really do that, Gabrielle wondered? She looked behind her for Fleur as she went over to the table. One of the twins immediately slid over, making room for her. Gabrielle gave him a small smile, and the tips of his ears reddened. Well, thought Gabrielle, I am not so hopeless after all.

"Are we recruiting here George?" asked Fred from the other side of Gabrielle.

"What? Er, no, just, you know, being polite," replied George.

"Polite? We know how to be polite?" puzzled Fred.

"I do. Or I did. At least I remember one time.."

"A long time ago.."

"When one of us had the smarts to be polite..."

"While the other..."

"Laughed too hard at Mrs. Whimpley's suddenly hairless cats."

"Ooh, I think that was me."

"Which - the polite one or the one who got the hairless hex?"

The table broke out in laughter, and Gabrielle politely joined in. It might have been funnier, but she had a hard time following the twins' English as they bounced back and forth in rapid conversation.

"So Gabrielle, it looks like Madame Pomfrey fixed you up. I'm sorry about running into you." This was from Harry.

"It was my fault. I am sorry also. Madame Pomfrey is very good," said Gabrielle quickly, a bit nervously.

"Harry is a big fan of Madame Pomfrey's. Spends at least a week in the hospital wing each term," said Ginny.

"Is it from ze fighting?" asked Gabrielle in a near whisper.

"Nah. Mostly it is quidditch injuries or professors trying to off him," laughed George.

"Professors? What?" Gabrielle didn't know this, and she noticed Harry didn't seem to like the topic either.

"Sure. One year a professor removed the bones from his arm," said Fred. Gabrielle wondered if they always took turns speaking. She did not know any other twins to compare with.

"There's a pleasant topic for lunch - Skele-Gro," moaned Harry, who then laughed.

"Skele-Gro? How can you laugh? It is horrible stuff!" exclaimed Gabrielle.

The twins looked at each other across Gabrielle. "Excellent potential!" they said in unison.

"Did you need Skele-Gro Gabrielle?" asked Ginny.

"Eh... yes."

"Well, give us a story then!" said Ron, already on his second sandwich.

"Yeah. Why did you need it?" prompted Harry. Gabrielle looked down at her plate. Did they really expect her to divulge an incident on 'The List'? But then, they did not know of 'The List' and she had sort of brought it up. Maybe they would think it was funny, or maybe they would think she was a silly little girl.

"Someone give her a poke - I think she fell asleep," called Ron.

"Shut up Ron. It's okay if you don't want to tell us Gabrielle," said Harry. After the first two bites of his sandwich, he seemed to think something was missing, or there was too much of something, and he began disassembling his food.

"Harry, that's gross," informed Ginny. "At least use a fork to pick up the meat. Come on, Gabrielle. Tell us about the Skele-Gro."

Gabrielle was undecided. This was a way for Ginny to invite her into the conversation, but what if they ended up thinking she was ridiculous? But then again, Harry was now sniffing each slice of cheese suspiciously and it was not considered a gaffe by the others. She sighed, and started. "I was seven years of age. My family was travelling by Floo to Chamoix to visit. Fleur always went before me. She said I was too slow. No one saw, and I took anozzer handful of Floo powder. I tried to pass Fleur by using the ozzer handful in ze middle."

"Oh no!" gasped Ginny.

"I take it that it didn't work?" asked Harry, dangling a slice of cheese precariously.

"I did go faster, yes. But not to Chamoix. I went very rapid into the wall of Madame Chouisse. My arms were so broken ze healers took ze bones out." The distance from the Chouisse's hearth to the wall at been at least twenty feet, which she had covered in the blink of an eye.

Harry let out a low whistle. "So you had both arms regrown? I remember how much one arm hurt."

"Lucky you ended up somewhere with someone you knew," noted Ginny.

"Eh... I did not know Madame Chouisse. I was not awake when she took me to hospital. Zee witches at the ward knew of me."

"Did they?" snickered Fred. "And that would be because..."

"I was zere ze week before for my leg," Gabrielle blushed. It had been a rough couple of months in her life. Painfully embarrassing, and painful in general.

"Still, fun while it lasted, eh?" nudged George. The twins grinned at each other across her.

"I did go very rapid," admitted Gabrielle with almost a smile. Instinctively she ducked her head and looked for Fleur to remind her that it had been a bad thing.

"The Blond Bludger!" laughed George.

"You must have been in a world of hernnnk," started Ron, just as he transformed into a pink flamingo.

"We've been working on variants of the Canary Cremes!" announced George.

"It'll be Flamingo Floss, or Flamingo Fudge, or OY!" exclaimed Fred as Ron, using his new long neck, reached across the table to peck him.

Gabrielle looked around the table. Fred and George clearly enjoyed Ron's new form, while Ginny and Harry looked somewhat annoyed. Ron kept looking at her and the twins with first one eye, then the other, clicking his beak threateningly. Left eye, then the right eye, then left again, and snapping beak. Gabrielle couldn't take it any longer, and burst out laughing.

With a shower of pink feathers, Ron returned to normal. "Why is it always me you pick on?" he crabbed.

"Well, not our fault you ate the most first, is it?" asked Fred. "And Harry picked out all the cheese." Gabrielle had just swallowed another bite of her cheese sandwich, somewhat dismayed by that bit of news. The cheese didn't taste weird, though. Gabrielle thought it would be rude to stop eating it, especially with Mrs. Weasley eyeing her.

"Yeah Harry, what gave it away?" wondered George.

"Dumbledore said... he told me that magic always leaves traces," replied Harry. "I guess I've just been noticing them more." The mention of Dumbledore brought a somber mood to the table, until Gabrielle abruptly turned into a flamingo.

After lunch, the twins left for their shop. Alastor Moody arrived, and promptly disappeared upstairs with Harry and Ron. Ginny and Gabrielle helped Mrs. Weasly clean up.

v - v - v - v - v

Gabrielle was once more in bed in Ginny's bedroom, this time sitting sullenly instead of lying dazedly. The lunch had been fun. Harry had not treated her as a child. Gabrielle was pretty sure Ginny had said something to Harry, as he had been very nice and solicitous. She just wished he had better table manners. Fred and George had teased her, but not in a mean sort of way. She was pretty sure she could tell them apart now and idly wondered what would have happened had she worn an F.

The conversation around the table ended when Alastor Moody arrived. Gabrielle recognized him from her short stay at Hogwarts, and found him to be as creepy as ever. He, Harry, and Ron had retreated to Harry's room without explanation. The twins took that opportunity to return to their shop. That left Ginny and Gabrielle to help Mrs. Weasley clean up.

It was during the cleanup, when Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot, that Gabrielle, trying to reconcile the morning kissing with the lunchtime indifference, blurted, "Why does not Harry want to be your boyfriend?" Ginny had glared at her, told her that Harry was too busy for a girlfriend right now, and then commented how peaked Gabrielle looked when Mrs. Weasley returned.

No amount of declaring that she was fine could prevent the Weasley matriarch from fulfilling Madame Pomfrey's instructions. No amount of whining and begging could get Gabrielle a reduced sentence. She was stuck upstairs, alone, "resting" until dinner was ready. Mrs. Weasley had even taken the borrowed denims, promising to fix the rip and launder them. Gabrielle wondered if she took them so that an escape would be impossible. At least an escape in decent looking clothes.

"(Maybe Fleur is right,)" Gabrielle spoke to the empty room, "(maybe I am lacking in manners.)" She supposed it had been a rather rude question. Ginny had been so nice in the morning that Gabrielle had hoped she had a new friend. It was possible, Gabrielle thought, that Ginny was just being polite and a good host. It was possible that it was completely presumptuous to try and talk about boyfriends with Ginny. Still, Gabrielle bristled to herself, even if it was rude there was no reason for turning Mrs. Weasley on her like that. Ginny could have just told her it was none of her concern and that she didn't want to talk about it. At least Ginny had not launched into a tirade like Fleur would have.

An hour later, Gabrielle was bored. Almost bored to the point of desperation. She considered trying to sneak up to the attic to look for more clothes, but it seemed like Mrs. Weasley walked past the room if she even thought about actually doing it. Besides that, there was a ghoul in the attic. Ginny had greeted it like an old friend. Still, Gabrielle had noted that she kept her wand ready the whole time they were up there.

Gabrielle wondered if the room would be more interesting upside down. With her legs going up the wall and her head hanging over the edge of the bed she found that it was not more interesting. She did find that her jumbled trunk looked messier inverted. It looked a lot messier than her Maman would allow, and out of habit Gabrielle rolled out of bed to straighten it.

Pulling the tangle of Fleur's favorite dresses from what should have been her secret compartment, Gabrielle could feel the morning's anger coming back. It still annoyed Gabrielle to no end that Fleur had discovered the false bottom. When she dragged the last dress out, the one with the large flowers sewn on the front, there was a rattling noise. With a gasp of surprise, Gabrielle reached for the decorated white tin box. Fleur must not have seen this, Gabrielle thought, or surely she would have taken it out. She searched the dark corner of the compartment and pulled out the muggle coffee press she had received, and the brown leather-covered book from her Grandmere.

She went back to the bed, opened the tin a crack, and sniffed deeply. The delicious odor of Gaston's best blend of coffee took her back to the 'Coffee Caper'.