Hello my fellow readers, this is the first time I try to put into words one of the stories, or more like it, one of the scenes that pop into my mind from time to time. So be kind.

This is a Harry/Fleur story starting on fourth year on the day that the delegations of the other schools get to Hogwarts. The focus of the story is going to be on the interactions between these two and on the adventure side of it that comes with the Tournament.

Harry may be slightly out of character, as may be some of the supporting characters, but i do try to not turn them into different people than they are supposed to be. Harry's personality may seem a bit different because i am writing in first person (consider yourself warned) and as so we will have access to a lot of things that happen inside of the fairly introverted Harry's mind that we don't see in Canon. Also, consider any difference with canon an intentional deviation even it's not particularly important.

Okay, so more warnings: first, this is an experiment on my part, so there are lots of things that are undecided for the plot. Second, English is not my mother tongue so any corrections you'd like to make are welcome. Third, I am trying to get in the habit of writing daily but I am in no ways an experienced writer, so please be patient.

Also, the first interaction between Harry and Fleur is taken from a post from Reddit by u/TheDivineDemon

Without further ado, enjoy.

Chapter 1

The French Are Strange

"Look there!"

I woke from the stupor I was currently in to the shout of a first year a couple of rows in front of me. The waiting of the last forty minutes had certainly drained the excitement of the arrival of the foreign schools, despite the anticipation of this very moment since the beginning of the year.

The kid in front was pointing to the lake, were something was emerging from the formerly still waters.

The water clung to the emerging object as it didn't want to relinquish it's hold on it, obscuring it from view under a shifting, translucent film. As it rose further it became obvious it was a ships' mast surging out of the depts, not as if it was floating but rather as a macabre reversion of a sinking galleon.

As the ship's body was entirely above the line of the surface the skin of moving water covering it ripped with the sound of a thunderclap, making everyone jump, the curtain of water falling back to the lake, defeated.

The whole thing took maybe less than a minute, but it left me with the feeling that I had watched the raising of a corpse. I looked at the disgruntled faces around me. I definitely wasn't alone in the feeling.

"What the sod was that?" Exhaled Ron. I simply shook my head. The silhouettes of the delegates of the ship's school could be seen approaching, nothing more than tall figures in furs.

The headmaster, or so I assumed, approached Dumbledore and shook his hand, smiling in a way that would be charming had it not been for his yellowed teeth.

"It's been a long time headmaster," He looked at the castle an then at the group of students huddled by the doors, "Hogwarts has changed as much as you have, eh?"

"I hope the same is not true of you, Igor," Said Dumbledore in his most amicable tone, somehow making the newly named Igor stiffen, "change is the core of betterment after all."

They dropped the handshake and Dumbledore put his hand in his shoulder and turned towards the door, "You better get your students inside, it may be warmer here than at Durmstrang, but that's not saying much. And I can see some of your students are faring the worse for it."

Indeed, one of the figures closest to Durmstrang's headmaster looked like he had a cold.

"Merlin's sagging left ball! That's Victor Krum!" His former spooked mood forgotten, Ron was eying Krum as he did his plate of sausages in the morning, which was not an image I wanted in my brain.

"He's just a quidditch player, Ronald," Hermione's dulcet tones cut through his enraptured gaze.

"Just a quidd-"

"He is certainly less graceful grounded," I cut his angry tirade not bothering to look at the betrayed expression he was probably throwing my way, choosing to look around for a sign of the Beauxbatons delegation, hoping it would be less off-putting than whatever the hells that thing with the ship had been.

That's when I spotted a snitch in the sky. Or at least that was what my brain though before I realized that it was growing larger by the second. It was definitely round, gold and winged though.

"There," I pointed to my mates, "What, do you gather, is that?"

Hermione hummed, "It looks like a pumpkin."

"A flying house?" Added Ron. It took but seconds for said pumpkin snitch flying house to crash in front of the castle. And I said that because none of us was entirely wrong. It looked like a pumpkin, but the size of a house, painted a soft pastel cream with blue accents and adorned with enough gold to pass for a huge snitch. Only the wings didn't belong to it, but rather to a group of massive winged horses attached to the rest with a harness, their pearly manes shining almost as much as the polished silver wheels behind them.

"Pegasi!" Sighed an enraptured Hermione.

If everyone was spooked with Durmstrang's entrance, Beauxbatons seemed to have robbed the collective breath of the assemble.

"It looks like something out of a fairy tale!" The excitable Colin Creevey said, wording my thoughts.

The students descended from the flying contraption through a door on the side, a score of people wearing a light looking uniform in the same colours as the carriage. Behind them, an elegant woman in a shiny black dress straightened into her full height.

A height I had only seen before in Hagrid.

The pegasi looked like common mares next to her.

She cut through her own students, who then followed her, and approached our headmaster.

As with the durmstrang's head, they appeared to already know each, for after a warm greeting in which Dumbledore kissed her hand twice - for there was no hope of him ever reaching her cheeks despite his height - we were all gestured to go inside the castle.

The feast was fairly normal, with the exception of everyone being closer together as there where a lot more students in the hall even if the guests were distributed along all four house tables, with Beauxbatons sitting at the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables and Durmstrang spread between Slytherin and Hufflepuff.

As per usual Dumbledore left everything important for after the feast, just offering a short introduction of Madame Maxime and Igor Karkarov as heads of their respective school before the food materialised in front of us, so we were all happily munching on our food when we were interrupted.

"Are you wanting the bouillabaisse?

I turned to my right to see a blue-eyed girl wearing a blue scarf -Which at first made me think she was a Ravenclaw- standing behind Ron, one eye arched at him as he stood pale and transfixed mouthing like a stupid fish.

I was about to stomp his foot when he jumped in a way that made me think Hermione had been quicker than me.

"*Sorry. You can take it, there's more than enough with the other dishes.*"

Well, I'll be damned. Didn't know Hermione spoke French. With a grateful little smile, the French Witch took the bowl and left to the Ravenclaw table from where she had been sitting, leaving us with our dinner.

Ron looked a bit starstruck still.

After the long wait in the cold outer yard it was not surprising that the hot meals provided disappeared at record speeds, making it time for the Judge of the tournament to be revealed. The impartial, strict and impossible to deceive judge.

A cup. A flaming cup that didn't even look impressive, a rough wooden cup set aflame. According to Hermione I should be very impressed by the amazing artifact, but I just couldn't find it in me.

"So little Harry, what you thinking?" Came from my left as Forge plopped down on the bench.

"Planning on entering?" Came from my right, accompanied by Ron's cursing, as Gred did the same.

"I'm not of age, mates. It's not like I can enter."

"Like that has stopped you before."

That pulled a wry smile from me. "Even then, I won't try. Looking for a bit of peace this year. Besides if I'm not allowed to summon Ron and Hermione from the stands I won't stand a chance."

That caused general laughter around me. But in a way it was true after all, none of my adventures were just mine. I shared a fond smile with my friends as the crazy twins started rambunctiously inventing stories of us three to the delight of the whole house, and the bewilderment of the guests.

Halloween was declared free of classes, as no one would be able to actually focus on them. I spent the morning alone sitting on a window ledge on the astronomy tower, trying to make the most of the peace and the morning sun that was fighting its way through October clouds. It was a quite charming sight, the golden rays like the fingers of a god, reaching towards the floor. I could easily loose track of time on here, if it weren't for the chill.

And so, when the cold winds became too much I started my trek down the winding and spiraling halls of the castle, thinking of breakfast and maybe flying around the Quidditch pitch for a while later.

Almost nobody came to this part of the castle on the morning, so it took me by surprise when a blonde girl popped to existence right as I was turning a corner and subsequently fell on her rump with a huff as her chin bounced from my nose.

"Son of a barghest!" I hissed, rubbing my aforementioned protuberance. The girl just sat there on the floor, looking at me as if she couldn't believe someone had the gall to bump into her.

"Oh, sorry," I said while I offered my hand to help her up, my voice a bit nasal. "Are you Ok?" She glared at me without any real heat for a moment before taking my hand and pulling herself up.

"I am fine, thank you." She said, dusting her skirts with as much dignity as could be gathered in this situation. Her hands moving over her uniform made me notice that it was not the usual black, and in an amazing display of observation I saw that she was covered entirely in blue clothes, marking her a Beauxbatons student.

Her posture was stiff and prideful as if she were expecting a confrontation of some kind. It was making me nervous, to be honest.

"Well, bye," I said awkwardly, deciding to let her to her things as it didn't look like she would appreciate the company, and keep walking down the hall.

"Wait!" Came a half shout, too loud for the small distance between us.

"Yes?" I turned a bit worried about the sudden outburst, her prideful stance now at odds with her fidgeting hands.

"I am quite lost and could use some 'elp."

"Oh," I said as I faced her. "Where are you trying to go?"

"The courtyard or the main gate, I am in need of some air."

I looked at her for a few seconds, perplexed, trying to imagine what route she took to- "how did you end up here? You are almost at the top of the tallest tower."

Her cheeks tinted a pretty shade and she lifted her chin, "It's a strange building, anyone could get lost."

That made me smile a bit. "I guess you're right. Hogwarts can be a bit tricky, I got lost loads during my first year here," I said and shrugged, "follow me. I was heading to the great hall anyway."

"Thank you," She said in a dainty voice, stepping beside me.

The rest of the walk was done in a silence I would have called it comfortable if it weren't for her obvious displeasure. What about? Sod Ron if I know.

"I believe we 'avent given each other's names." She said, stopping and offering her hand, "I am Fleur Delacour, and you are?"

I took her hand and smiled, "Harry. Harry Potter."

"Ugh," She dropped my hand unceremoniously as if it was slimy, crossing her arms over her chest, eyes flaring through the slits they became, " 'arry Potter? Really? Couldn't you come up with something more original?"

"What?" I said, with the grace and finesse that characterizes me. Heh.

The girl, Fleur I had to remember, just scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned and stomped down the hallway in a seemingly random direction that was going to get her lost again.

I stood there for a minute, perplexed , and just shook my head, "Ron is right, girls are mental," her long hair disappeared from view as she sharply turned the next corner.

"Oh well, nothing to be done really," I muttered to myself as I continued on my way to the Great Hall in hopes of a hearty meal.