I've just decided at this moment that I'm giving Fleur her accent back; I think she's too out of character without her accent, you know? Sorry for the change so late in the story! I'm capricious like that.

Also, I'm thinking there will be twelve chapters total in this story...thus making this one the second to last. -sniff- It's been fun.

Chapter 11

Fleur awoke to the marvelous feeling of having her shoulders massaged. She sighed blissfully, turning over to face the man responsible for such a pleasant morning wakeup call.

"I am not going to work," she whispered into the nape of his neck.

Bill uttered a low chuckle into her ear. "We have to."

"Why do zey make us go back ze day after New Year's?" she complained. "Eet makes no sense."

"Life makes no sense, love. Now, up!" Bill yanked the sheets off the bed playfully.

"I will hex you ze next time you do zat," Fleur grumbled, rising.

After breakfast, they walked hand in hand toward Gringotts. Fleur nestled close to Bill, smiling up at him.

"It was a relaxing vacation, though, wasn't it?" Bill said to her. "Except for that fiasco with my family..."

"I think eet went very well." Fleur laughed, thinking back on her...successful...relationship with the two Weasley women. Bill, taken with her enchanting laughter and the halo of snowflakes falling around her golden head, stopped in the middle of the street and kissed her deeply.

"However did you ever ensnare a simple, down-to-earth man like me?" he queried after pulling away.

"Eet was not 'ard. I think zat you came very easily."

"Oh, is that so?" he growled, earning another winning laugh from her. "It won't be so easy next time."

"Zere will be no next time," Fleur replied breezily. "You are already mine." A clever reply was on the tip of Bill's tongue when they were stopped, immediately, at the front doors.

"What eez ze matter?" Fleur demanded, seeing two men standing guard the entrance. Greg stepped forward immediately upon seeing her.

"Happy New Year, Miss Delacour. You're under arrest."

xxx

"You see, Miss Delacour, this is a question of timing. You arrive in London, for no apparent reason other than the fact that you wanted the experience of living here, and then suddenly files are being tampered or going missing. Can you blame us for suspecting you, Miss Delacour?"

"Since when was I Miss Delacour and no longer Fleur?" she snapped irritably.

"Since you became a primary suspect," Greg replied.

"You 'ave made a grave mistake," Fleur replied insistently. "You 'ave ze wrong person. Let me go."

"You're staying here in the Ministry until you are put on trial. Azkaban, of course, is out of the question as of now for such a petty crime...unless we discover there is more to it than we thought."

"Who put you in charge anyway?" Fleur snapped. "You are an employee at Gringotts like ze rest of us."

"Ah, now that's where you are mistaken," Greg replied smugly. "I was placed there by the Ministry. We've been suspecting foulplay for a while yet, you see."

"So why are you accusing me, zen? Eef zese things 'ave been 'appening for so long, zen why take me?" Greg frowned at this query.

"Well, you see, I..."

"I think you are ze culprit 'ere," Fleur said accusingly. "You are just looking for someone to blame! So ze Ministry will think you are doing your job well."

"That is not true!" Greg pounded his fist on the desk, furious.

"'Zat is not true!'" Fleur repeated in a singsong voice, mimicking him. "Grow up, Greg, and when you do, owl me. I will be waiting, locked up in my miserable cell." She stood, looking down at him haughtily. "I will not answer any more questions." With all the fury of a frenzied whirlwind, she stormed out of the room, leaving the guards at the door to chase after her as she entered her cell of her own volition.

"Come to lock me in, gentlemen?" she sneered, facing them. Terrified, the guards muttered locking spells in the direction of the door and fled.

xxx

"I've come to see Fleur Delacour, please."

"Room number 304. Here is your guest pass. You have a half hour."

"Thank you."

Bill made his way anxiously to the designated room, his mind racing. The whole ordeal had been kept quiet; no one else at the bank knew that Fleur had been arrested and taken to the Ministry. He couldn't make sense of it - in any other case, newspapers would have been swarming around Gringotts within the hour, asking questions and demanding to know what part the beautiful half-veela played in this controversy. What was the controversy, anyhow?

"I'm visiting Miss Delacour," Bill explained to the guard, who looked visibly relieved to see him.

"Hopefully you'll be able to calm her temper," the guard replied, looking fearfully at the closed door behind him. "She's been in a foul mood the whole time...To think, she's been here only this morning and she's got us wishing they'd just let her go and leave us already!"

"Why?" Bill queried, fighting hard to hide his amusement.

"She said her room was dirty; I had to clean it up. She said the room was stuffy; I had to crack open the windows, which haven't been opened in eleven years, mind you, so a shower of dust and debris fell on top of me. Then she said she was hungry, and I had to go grab her a sandwich, which she claimed tasted like "merde," whatever that means. Then, she said she was horribly bored and that I must sing for her to amuse her, and so I sang an old Irish pub song - those are the only kind I know - and she screamed in my face and told me I was a horrible singer, and that I should be hanged for making such a noise, and as I left, she was positively dying with laughter! Plus she's been calling me all these strange words and I just know she's cussing me out in French!" At this point, the guard was breathing heavily, and looked traumatized.

"I think it's time for me to see her," Bill said quickly before a laugh could escape his lips.

"Yes, yes, it's high time!" the guard cried, shoving Bill into the room and slamming the door.

"Hello, Fleur."

"Shh!"

Bill stood before the door, bemused by Fleur's antics. She was placing one foot carefully in front of the other and walking along the wall. Finally, when she reached the corner of the room, she turned toward him.

"Zere are fifteen of my footsteps going zis way in ze room, and twenty-two going ze long way. Zere are also thirty-two cracks in ze ceiling, and thirteen in ze windows, and I think I 'eard mice in ze floors. Oh, and ze bed 'as bugs, I am sure of it."

Bill, laughing uncontrollably, took long strides toward her and captured her in his arms. "Bored, much?"

"Terribly," she replied into his neck.

"Fleur, is there something I should know abotu you? Are you a notorious criminal?"

"You are a very funny man, Bill Weez-ley," Fleur retorted sarcastically.

"What are you, really?" he persisted, feigning uncontainable curiosity. "An infamous bank-robber? A clever jewel thief? Perhaps even a world-renowned con artist?"

"What eez next on your list? A cold-'earted murderer?"

"You read my mind!" He feigned shock.

Fleur suddenly slumped against him. "I am tired of zis, Bill," she whispered.

"You've been here for five hours, Fleur. The guard is more tired than you are."

"As 'e should be."

"Fleur..."

"I do not know why I'm 'ere, Bill. I know what eet eez you're going to ask. Eet eez something to do with ze files; I do not know... Zat ee-diot Greg thinks I did eet... Am I in ze newspapers, Bill?"

"That's your primary concern?" Bill chuckled. "Actually, they've been remarkably quiet about the incident."

"I think ze Ministry kept eet zat way..." Fleur explained the opinions she had formed."I think zey had something to do with ze bank. I overheard someone at ze bank saying before zat ze Ministry 'as recently taken control of keeping ze bank records. But now ze records are messed up, zey do not want to let ze public know ze mistake...?"

"It makes sense," Bill said slowly, mentally digesting the idea. "But why you?"

"Exactly! Eet eez zat ee-diot Greg. I think 'e set me up."

"What!"

"Look at zis," she said, thrusting a piece of parchment towards him. "I took eet on my way out from ze room where I was being questioned."

"Oh, Fleur, you can't just take things." Bill shook his head but read the parchment in question anyway:

Greg-

I don't have much to confirm my suspicions, but I have a hunch something will be happening. Soon. As in tomorrow night. I was looking over the research we did and I ... (ink is smudged here and words are illegible) ... Remember that botched robbery attempt of V. 543 some while back? Well I think ... (more smudged ink) ... Are you ready? I'll meet you ... stake-out ... keep watch ... need backup ... V. 132!

"What the bloody hell does this all mean?" Bill wondered, reading the note for the third time.

"There eez going to be anuzzer robbery attempt!" Fleur grabbed his arm. "And we need to be zere to prevent eet!"

"Why not turn this note in?"

"We need to catch him doing zis," she said fiercely. "I want to be avenged for being set up by him!"

"That's a harsh accusation to make, Fleur, you can't just go around saying things like that!" He took her in his arms. "If you could prove it, love, you'd be out of here in a heartbeat. But... but how will getting involved in this help you back it up?"

"Zat is why I need you to 'elp me."

xxxxxxxxx

A/N: Wow, I hope this isn't getting too AU, especially since there's only one chapter left...which I haven't entirely planned, by the way. Wish me luck! Oh, and please let me know what you think about Fleur's accent change, now that you know what it's like. Would you rather have me remove it?