Title: Impossible...Not!
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Harry/Fleur, one-sided Bill/Fleur, Hedwig
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Summary: An innocent conversation about Hedwig is the start of a beautiful relationship.
Word Count: 1,665
Notes: For the Pick a List Competition over at the HPFC forums. My prompt is Hedwig.
Harry/Fleur is one of my favorite het relationships in Harry Potter, so I'm glad to finally be able to write a story for it.
Also, I have not written Fleur's accent. Just know that she's speaking French.
Feedback: Yes

Harry entered the Owlery and saw Fleur Delacour there, and she seemed fascinated by Hedwig."Fleur?" Harry questioned tentatively, considering she hadn't given him the warmest reception.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Is Hedwig okay?"

"Who?" Fleur then turned to face Harry.

"Hedwig, my owl," Harry elaborated.

"This magnificent owl is yours?" she asked, interest clear in her voice.

"Yeah. It was a birthday present to me from Hagrid when he took me school shopping before my first year." Harry then went to pet Hedwig who seemed to be preening for Fleur. She loved to be the center of attention.

"She's absolutely breathtaking. I've never seen an owl so beautiful."

"Thank you," Harry said proudly. Harry knew Hedwig was special; it was nice to have someone else acknowledge it.

"I noticed that she likes to be by herself."

Harry nodded, chuckling. "She's a bit of princess. She wants things the way she wants them when she wants them."

Fleur nodded, still gazing at Hedwig. "My sister, Gabrielle, loves owls. Could I bring her up here to meet Hedwig?"

"Sure, I bet Hedwig will love the extra attention." Hedwig nodded her head. "See? She's thrilled with the idea."

Fleur giggled when Hedwig flew around as if she was performing tricks for an adoring audience. Fleur really is an adoring audience, Harry observed. Her cheeks were flushed and blue eyes were bright with excitement. She looked absolutely beautiful, Harry realized. He finally understood why all of the boys fell over themselves to be near her.

"You know, I always wish I had siblings. Are you and Gabrielle close?"

Fleur nodded. "Gabby is my best friend. Most of the girls I go to school with dislike me greatly because I'm quarter-Veela. Girls are jealous because of my looks and the fact that I can attract guys so easily. If it wasn't for Gabby, I'd be alone most of the time."

"So you can sympathize with Hedwig?"

"Yeah." Harry and Fleur shared a commiserating look. Both of them knew what it felt like to be alone.

Throughout the rest of the Triwizard Tournament, Harry and Fleur spent much more time together. Most of the time was spent in the Owlery so Fleur could watch Hedwig prance. Gabrielle sometimes joined them, but it was mostly just Fleur and Harry.

Harry never told his friends about those secret meetings. He wasn't ashamed of his friendship with Fleur—not at all—but Hermione never liked her and Ron would just be jealous. Harry didn't want to deal with all of that.

Before the third task, Harry saw Bill look at Fleur with interest, and he had an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was similar to what he felt when he saw Cedric and Cho at the Yule Ball together, but so much more potent. He felt happy that Fleur didn't seem to notice Bill's interest. That was something, at least.

Fleur was the one who found him in the Owlery after Cedric's death. She held him and allowed him to cry. He didn't feel like he had to be strong in front of her. He felt as if he could be the young kid he was. She stayed silent and simply rubbed his back soothingly.

When it was time to say goodbye to the foreign schools, Harry and Fleur said goodbye in the Owlery. Their friendship was still a secret, and they decided it was easier to keep it that way.

Harry was surprised when Fleur gently kissed him on the lips. He blushed when she pulled back. "What was that for?"

Fleur smiled. "For just being you." And then she was gone.

Harry and Fleur continued to converse with each other after she went back to France. Ron and Hermione were both curious about the weekly letters, but it was Harry's secret. His friendship with Fleur didn't endanger anyone so it was none of their business.

When Ginny began to push her relationship with Dean in his face, he ignored it. He didn't understand it so he wasn't going to mention it. He did tell Fleur about it. He could just hear the bitter sarcasm when she replied with Ginny is trying to make you jealous because she wants you for herself.

Harry didn't like the idea of Ginny wanting him. Ron was like his brother, despite the recent strain between them, so Ginny was like his sister. He also didn't like the idea that Fleur might think Harry was interested in Ginny so he made sure to tell her how he felt about the whole situation.

Fleur was much warmer after that. If Harry knew anything about girls, he would have thought Fleur was jealous of the prospect of him being with Ginny, but Harry didn't know anything about girls, so he brushed it off as wistful thinking.

The older he got, the more he came to realize that his feelings for Fleur weren't feelings of simple friendship. One didn't have wet dreams about their friends. They didn't fantasize about what their friends looked like while naked. Of course he never told Fleur the truth about his feelings. Why would a beautiful, intelligent woman want him, anyways?

The Final battle was coming upon them. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were preparing for the Horcrux hunt when Fleur was led into the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters by Bill. Harry felt the irrational jealousy of fourth year when he saw Bill holding her hand.

"Some of you might remember Fleur. She wants to join us for the final battle, says she has an invested interest in making sure You-Know-Who is gone forever."

Fleur smiled. Ron started to swoon, while Hermione and Ginny glared at her.

At the first chance he got, he pulled Fleur into a room, so they were alone. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyebrows raised. "I'm preparing to help in the final battle."

"I don't want you here. It's too dangerous."

"Exactly why I'm here. You listen here, Harry Potter. You better survive this war. Do I make myself clear?" she asked, fire in her eyes and voice.

Harry had to force himself to breathe. "Yes."

"Good," Fleur said.

She left him alone. He was thankful she didn't say 'sorry' about Hedwig's death. He didn't want to hear another platitude about it.

The day the Golden Trio is set to leave for the Horcrux hunt, Harry saw Bill and Fleur kissing. Feeling his heart break, Harry quickly went to wait outside for the other two-thirds of the trio.

He really wasn't surprised of Fleur falling for Bill. The eldest Weasley son was everything Harry wasn't: tall, good-looking, intelligent, cool, and of course, closer to her age. It just hurt so much to know that she wasn't, and could never be, interested in him. It was time to put Fleur out of his head. He had a mission to complete.

On the day of the final battle, after the final Horcrux that resided within him was destroyed, Harry stood before Voldemort. His killing curse backfired against Harry's disarming curse, ending Voldemort's life.

Harry stared as everyone around him cheered. He knew there were deaths, but he was not sure whose. He needed to find out which of his friends were no longer alive.

"Harry!" a familiar voice screamed.

Harry turned just as arms were thrown around his neck, hugging him as if her life depended on. "Fleur, you're okay."

"Yes." Fleur nodded, blonde hair flying rapidly around her face. Her hair was a mess, bangs falling in her eyes. Her face was smudged with dirt and her clothes were torn up, but to Harry, she never looked more beautiful.

"I'm glad," Harry said, stepping back. Fleur wasn't his. He couldn't touch her whenever he pleased.

"Where do you think going?" she asked, before pulling him to her by the shirt and kissing him with so much passion.

Harry felt every curve of her body as she pressed close to him. He didn't know what to do. Part of him thought he was dreaming and that part never wanted him to wake up, but the other part thought this might be some cruel trick.

She finally pulled away after Harry still refused to respond. "Is there a reason why you're not kissing me back?"

"What about Bill?"

Fleur's forehead scrunched in her confusion.

"I saw you kissing him, before I left with Ron and Hermione."

"Oh, no Harry. You had it all wrong. Bill kissed me. You must not have seen me pushing him away. I told him very clearly that I wasn't interested in him, and in fact, I was in love with someone else."

"Really?"

"Of course. So now will you kiss me back?"

Harry's answer was to lean forward so their lips met in a gentle touch, but it quickly grew fervent. Kissing Fleur was better than he could have ever imagined. She had such fiery passion when she was angry, but she had the same fiery passion when she kissed.

Harry felt as if his breath was being stolen from his body. If he died of suffocation this way, it would be a good way to go.

They laughed softly when they finally broke apart for air. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw something that made him pause. "Bill is looking and glaring at me as if I was Voldemort himself."

"Don't feel too bad. Ginny is doing the same thing to me."

"They will get over it, right?" Harry asked.

"Do you really care that much?"

He looked at Fleur, just then realizing that this extraordinary woman really wanted him, and knowing that, nothing else mattered. "No, no I don't."

He knew he would have to deal with the fallout that his relationship with Fleur would cause. He knew he had to deal with the deaths of the final battle. But as he pulled Fleur's body back to his, their lips touching once again, at that second, nothing else mattered.

Note: I now have an AO3 account and all of my stories, including my unpublished original stuff, is posted. You can find the link on my profile page.