This is so random; never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would write a Bill-Fleur story. But, then again, they say you should "expect the unexpected"... which doesn't make sense because if you expect the unexpected, the unexpected becomes the expected and is no longer unexpected therefore you can never expect the unexpected. Yeah, well... anyway, back to the story...

Chapter 1

"Au revoir, Papa."

Nineteen-year-old Fleur Delacour stood in the doorway of her father's study, suitcase in hand. She was leaving home; for real this time. Her time spent away at Beauxbatons didn't count. Now she was an adult, and was going to make her own way in the world, starting with a desk job at Gringotts, the bank in London. Never had she left France before. Some parental support would have been helpful...

But her father didn't even look up from his papers. "Au revoir, Fleur," he said briskly. His quill did not pause; he kept writing without even a smile for his daughter.

Fleur sighed. Her father was all about business. Years ago, he had been a romantic suitor who had won the heart of her mother, a beautiful woman whose mother had been a veela. But now, once the romance and passion of her parents' marriage were over, Fleur's father's focus had turned only on his career.

Her mother's goodbye was nearly the same. Fleur had expected that.

"Au revoir, Fleur," she said, momentarily looking up from applying blush to her cheeks to blow a quick kiss to her daughter. She was getting ready for a party, as usual.

"Au revoir," Fleur replied, but her mother had already returned to preening in front of the mirror. Fleur rolled her eyes and went to the front foyer. No one was going to miss her at all. That is, except for—

"Fleur!" There was a sudden cry and then someone was flying into her arms.

Gabrielle.

Fleur held her little sister tightly. She was the only person Fleur would miss, and the only person who would miss Fleur.

"Dois-tu partir, Fleur?" Gabrielle asked tearfully.

"Oui," Fleur replied gently. She took the little girl's face in her hands. "Gabrielle, tu es la seule personne dans le monde que j'adore."

Gabrielle wrapped her little arms around Fleur. "I love you," she said in broken English. "I will miss you so much."

Fleur wondered how long it had taken her sister to look that up in the dictionary. Gabrielle, who was only eight, wouldn't learn to speak English officially until she started school at Beauxbatons three years later.

Fleur kissed her sister fondly. "And I will miss you. Au revoir, Gabrielle. Je t'adore."

As she Apparated from the Delacour mansion, the only image that remained in Fleur's mind was of the little face that was so similar to hers, and the tears that ran down Gabrielle's cheeks.

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A/N: short chapter, I know, and not that great. But then again, we're not up to the Bill part yet so how can it be great? lol. For those of you who are still awaiting Confessions, my Angelia-Fred/Alicia-George story, it'll be up soon, I promise. Luv y'all!

PS- if I got my French wrong, someone tell me!