Heart and Soull

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"I was not aware of this," she said, speaking slowly and carefully. "But there are so many unknown factors, Ginny. Harry may not feel that way about you, and I'm sure his fiancée will not appreciate you dating him in order to try to become his second wife."

"I know," Ginny responded, her features once again assuming the desolate look they had had when she had first entered the room.

"So why do you continue to hope?" Hermione asked her, trying to remain as kind and understanding as she could. "And besides, are you certain you want to share your husband?"

"If you really loved someone and the only way to be with them was to share, wouldn't you?" Ginny challenged.

"I'm… not certain I could," Hermione responded, confused as to her own feelings. Would she be willing to share Harry with Fleur, a woman she did not even really know? It would be one thing with someone like Ginny whom she knew and liked, but to do so with a near stranger would be… difficult. Even if she could manage to reconcile herself to the idea in the first place…

"Ginny, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not certain you love Harry."

When the young girl began to protest, Hermione stopped her with an open hand. "Ginny, you don't even know Harry—you've been too shy to get to know him. How can you say you love him?"

For the first time since she had known the young girl, Hermione's statement seemed to give Ginny pause where Harry was concerned. She did not know if Ginny was truly in love with Harry or just infatuated, but she felt it would be better for the girl to let this go—it was almost certain to cause her less heartache in the long run.

"I don't know," Ginny finally stated in a small voice. "I've had this attraction to him for so long… And yet, I guess I really don't know him, do I? I just know the Boy-Who-Lived."

"That can always be fixed," Hermione said with a smile.

At Ginny's raised eyebrow, Hermione continued, "Be his friend, Ginny. Harry doesn't need another fan girl or a potential second wife right now—there will be time enough for that later. What he needs now are friends. You need to let go of your infatuation and get to know Harry as he is, not as you've pictured him all your life. Believe me, treating him as a friend is the best way for you to catch his eye."

The thoughtful look which entered Ginny's eye caused a sigh of relief to the young witch—it appeared she was finally getting through to the younger girl.

"And one other thing, Ginny… I would recommend you give up on your hope—there are too many obstacles to be overcome. If some time down the road it does happen, it will be pleasantly surprising for you, but you're setting yourself to be crushed if it doesn't. Let it go."

The clouded over eyes told Hermione all she needed to know about Ginny's reaction to her second piece of advice, but the girl smiled tremulously after a few moments and nodded bravely. It perhaps was not the best she could have hoped, but as long as the other girl had held on to her fantasy, giving it up would undoubtedly be difficult.

Hermione lay back down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Now if she could only let it go herself…

"I know this is sudden and not what you wished for, ma cherie, but you know how I worry for you. It could be much worse, could it not?"

As the light of the afternoon gave way to the lengthening shadows of early evening, Fleur Delacour sat on the window seat in her bedchamber, peering out at the beautiful landscapes of the hills and valleys which comprised her home, the words of her father echoing through her mind. For once, the scene in front of her, the mass of verdant green trees and narrow streams amidst the rugged hills of her home, was not enough to distract her from her thoughts and worries.

A small sigh escaped her lips and she pressed her forehead against the window, lost in thought. As every other young girl in the wizarding world, she had been well aware of the fact that her father could negotiate a marriage contract for her, although he had promised her he would only do it if he felt it was in her best interests and the best interests of the family. And of course like any other girl, she had dreamed of a wonderful man sweeping her off her feet, carrying her away to life of love and laughter. Still, as her father said, it was not truly a bad situation. And though she was unsettled over the situation, thinking back on the conversation with her father did bring her some comfort…

Fleur sat down heavily on the chair in front of the desk in her father's study, unable to believe what her father had just told her.

"Marriage contract?" she breathed. "I was not aware there was a marriage contract in existence for me."

"I found out about it just recently myself," her father responded with a kindly smile. "I did not wish to worry you, so I did not say anything about it until I was certain we would be agreeing to it."

Not knowing what to say, Fleur sat quietly in her chair, staring at the wood of her father's desk. Having reached the age of seventeen, she had assumed that as she had not yet been entered into a marriage contract, it was not likely to happen. Erroneously assumed, it appeared. She was well aware of the state of her father's position in both the political landscape of France and the wizarding world as a whole, and try as she might, she could not imagine with whom he would need to cement a political alliance.

But suddenly, the import of the words made its way through her consciousness and she peered up at her father. "You didn't know about it? Then who negotiated it if you did not?"

"It was negotiated fifty years ago for my generation," her father replied. He then proceeded to relate the history of the marriage contract by which she was now bound. But the one thing he did not tell her was the identity of her betrothed.

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