I grinned, feeling warmth creep into my cheeks. Before I could say anything back, Gabrielle suddenly reached out and gently squeezed my bicep. Her fingers lingered a little longer than necessary, sending a jolt of heat through my body.
"Gabrielle!" Fleur scolded playfully, pulling her sister's hand away. "You are being too forward."
Gabrielle giggled, completely unfazed. "Oh, come on, Fleur. You were zinking ze same thing."
"Maybe," Fleur replied with a mischievous smile, her eyes flicking to mine for just a second too long. "But zat does not mean you should grab 'im like zat."
Dudley loudly cleared his throat, obviously trying to pull the conversation his way. "Well, I box. Got myself a scholarship too," he said proudly, glancing back hopefully.
Fleur turned politely toward Dudley for a moment. "Oh, zat is nice," she said sweetly, giving him a quick smile. But her eyes slid back to me almost instantly, clearly uninterested in talking to anyone else.
Dudley deflated visibly, muttering something under his breath, and I had to bite back a laugh.
We pulled into the diner parking lot, and thankfully the place wasn't crowded yet. Most people were probably still at the stadium, meaning we had the place mostly to ourselves.
I jumped out first, moving around quickly to open the door for Fleur and Gabrielle.
"Ah, such a gentleman," Fleur teased softly, stepping out gracefully and smiling warmly at me. "Merci, 'Arry."
Gabrielle hopped out next, her hand briefly touching mine as she moved past. "Oui, merci," she whispered shyly.
We sat down in a booth near the back of the diner, Dudley sliding in beside me with a loud sigh of relief. The two girls sat directly across from us, their perfect blonde hair catching the diner's bright overhead lights. Dudley immediately grabbed a menu and flipped it open, leaning forward eagerly.
"So, what're you getting, Potter?" Dudley asked, rubbing his stomach dramatically. "After cheering all game, I'm starving. Seriously, I could eat a whole football team!" He laughed loudly at his own dumb joke, elbowing me lightly in the ribs.
I just chuckled and rolled my eyes, flipping through my own menu casually. But when I glanced up, I noticed the two French girls suddenly freeze. Fleur's blue eyes widened, her lips slightly parted, and Gabrielle's expression looked like someone had just shocked her.
Gabrielle suddenly leaned forward across the table, staring intently at me with bright, eager eyes. Her gaze traveled slowly up and down my face, as if she were studying every detail carefully.
"Wait... eez your name really 'Arry Potter?" Gabrielle asked, sounding breathless with excitement.
"Um, yeah," I said slowly, feeling a bit puzzled. "That's what my parents named me...."
Gabrielle gasped softly, turning quickly and poking her older sister in the arm repeatedly. "Fleur! You 'eard zat, oui? We are actually sitting wiz 'Arry Potter himself!" Fleur seemed equally stunned, looking at me like she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. Gabrielle leaned closer to me again, her cheeks flushed pink with excitement. "'Arry, you were my childhood 'ero," she said eagerly, her eyes sparkling with genuine admiration. "I used to write you letters all ze time. Did you ever receive any of zem?"
I blinked a couple of times, feeling awkward and confused. "Letters? Uh, no, I never got any letters. Are you sure you've got the right Harry Potter?" I asked.
Gabrielle looked disappointed, but Fleur chuckled softly, shaking her head with an amused smile.
"Gabrielle, zis eez probably just a funny coincidence," Fleur said gently, placing a calming hand on her sister's arm. She turned to me again with a small apologetic shrug. "Unless, of course, your parents were named James and Lily Potter?" she asked with a touch of sarcasm.
I froze at her words, feeling my stomach twist strangely. I scratched my cheek awkwardly, staring at Fleur and Gabrielle in surprise. "Um...yeah, actually," I said slowly, my voice hesitant. "They were."
Both sisters stared at me, eyes wide in stunned silence.
Dudley looked between us, completely confused, before he spoke up, sounding thoroughly lost. "Wait...what the hell is going on here?"
Gabrielle suddenly leaned forward across the table, her eyes bright with excitement. She clasped her hands together tightly and stared at me like she was about to burst. "'Arry, why did you never go to 'Ogwarts?" she blurted out eagerly, almost bouncing in her seat.
I just stared at her, completely lost. "Come to...what? What's a Hogwarts?"
That was a strange sounding term.
Gabrielle looked even more shocked, her eyes widening dramatically. "You do not know about 'Ogwarts? Ze wizarding school!?"
Before I could even answer, she was firing more questions at me, leaning even closer across the table. "Why did you disappear from ze wizarding world? Everyone zought ze Death Eaters secretly killed you! Where 'ave you been all zis time, 'Arry?"
I sat there feeling totally overwhelmed. Wizarding world? Death Eaters? What the hell was she even talking about?
"I...I honestly have no idea what you're saying," I finally told her, shaking my head. "I don't know about any wizarding world or Death Eaters or anything like that."
Gabrielle opened her mouth again, looking ready to fire off more questions, when suddenly Dudley interrupted loudly.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, eyes widening as he pointed directly at Fleur and Gabrielle. "You two-you're witches, aren't you?"
I turned to Dudley in shock, feeling irritated by his sudden rude outburst. "Dud, come on, that's a pretty rude thing to call classy women like them," I scolded him, embarrassed about what he had just called these classy girls.
But Dudley just shook his head insistently, looking completely serious for once. "No, Harry, you don't get it. I promised Mum and Dad I'd never talk about this stuff again, but magic-magic's real. They're witches, like, actual witches!"
I stared at Dudley, completely stunned, feeling my heart thud quickly in my chest.
Magic.
Real magic?
I'd always known something like magic was real. How else would I explain being able to breathe underwater, move faster than normal people, or even the wings I kept hidden from everyone else? But until now, I'd always believed I was totally alone.
Turning back to Fleur and Gabrielle, I gave them both an astonished look. "Witches, huh?" I said softly, still taking it all in. "That's...that's pretty cool, actually."
Gabrielle beamed excitedly, looking relieved that I finally seemed to understand. She leaned forward again, batting her eyelashes sweetly. "'Arry, please, you must tell us-"
But Fleur gently placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Gabrielle, slow down," she said calmly, giving her sister an affectionate but stern look. "Can't you see? Poor 'Arry Potter looks genuinely confused right now..."
Oh, I definitely was, but at the same time, I felt like this was going to turn out to be the most important day of my life.
Our food arrived a few minutes later, the waitress setting down large plates filled with greasy fish and chips, burgers stacked tall with melted cheese dripping down, and big cups of iced sodas. Fleur and Gabrielle stared at their plates in dismay, their beautiful faces scrunching up almost simultaneously in an expression of disgust.
I couldn't help but laugh quietly at their reaction. "What's the matter? Not up to your fancy French standards?" I teased lightly, picking up a fry and popping it casually into my mouth.
Gabrielle turned her head to glare at me playfully, her bright eyes narrowed slightly as she poked at her food with obvious disdain. "I do not understand 'ow you can stomach zis, 'Arry. Zis food is absolutely uncultured and disgusting," she said dramatically, giving a small pout of disapproval.
"Gabrielle," Fleur interjected with an amused smile, picking up her fork to carefully inspect a greasy fry. "You must not forget zat Britain conquered 'alf ze world in order to steal spices from everyone else, only to never actually use zem in zeir own cooking."
I laughed out loud at Fleur's joke, shaking my head slightly. "Fair point. But if you're too good for our British cuisine," I said jokingly, leaning forward with a mischievous smile, "I know a decent ice cream place just around the corner. Maybe that'll be a bit more to your tastes."
Both girls immediately brightened, exchanging hopeful grins, clearly excited by the suggestion. But before either could respond, the delicate silver watch on Gabrielle's wrist suddenly began blinking with a small red light, casting a faint glow onto the table.
Their expressions shifted instantly-Gabrielle looked startled and disappointed, her shoulders slumping, while Fleur's face grew serious, lips pressed tightly together.
"We apologize," Fleur said softly, placing her napkin down beside her barely touched plate. "But we cannot stay much longer."
Gabrielle's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, clearly about to protest. Fleur shot her a stern look, silencing whatever argument Gabrielle was preparing to make.
I glanced between the two sisters, feeling confused and concerned. "Hey, what's wrong? Everything okay?"
Gabrielle bit her lower lip nervously, her cheeks coloring faintly pink as she met my eyes with an embarrassed expression. "Well...you see, Fleur and I, we are not exactly normal witches."
"What do you mean by 'not normal'?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.
Fleur sighed softly, meeting my gaze steadily as she explained. "In order to safely spend time around non-magical people, Gabrielle and I must wear zese enchanted watches." She gestured toward the blinking watch on Gabrielle's wrist. "Zey stop us from projecting something called Allure zat our kind naturally possesses."
"Allure?" I repeated, still lost. "What's that exactly?"
Gabrielle shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking shyly down at the table as she replied. "Eet is a magical charm zat makes people extremely attracted to us, sometimes uncontrollably so. Without ze enchantment, eet can cause... issues."
Fleur nodded in agreement, her voice gentle but firm. "Unfortunately, ze enchantments do not last very long. Zis is why we must go soon."
Gabrielle looked genuinely sad, her bright eyes glancing up at me apologetically. "We really did enjoy meeting you, 'Arry."
Dudley and I walked Fleur and Gabrielle out of the diner and into the cool evening air. The sun had already set, leaving a soft glow from the streetlights lining the sidewalk. Both girls paused, turning gracefully toward us with warm, slightly regretful smiles.
Gabrielle stepped forward first, clasping her delicate hands together in front of her, looking up at me with bright, hopeful eyes. "Eet was so lovely meeting you, 'Arry. I 'ope we see each other again very soon. I really do want to know more about my childhood 'ero!"
I smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck in confusion. Even after our conversation, I still had absolutely no clue what she meant about being her hero. "I'd like that too," I said honestly. "Maybe you can explain more about...well, everything."
Gabrielle nodded eagerly, reaching out to gently touch my arm. "Of course! If you really want answers, zere ees a place you can find zem." She glanced around, then leaned in close, her soft voice dropping into an intimate whisper. "Go to zis address in ze middle of London-ze wizarding world ees zere, 'Arry."
She carefully recited the address, watching intently as I repeated it quietly to myself. Once she was satisfied I had it memorized, Gabrielle rose onto her toes, her face flushing a faint shade of pink as she pressed her soft lips lightly to my left cheek.
"'Appy birthday, 'Arry," she whispered, pulling back shyly with a bright, adorable blush coloring her cheeks.
I smiled, warmth spreading through me at the sweet gesture. "Thanks, Gabrielle."
Before I could say anything more, Fleur stepped closer. Being taller than her younger sister, she easily leaned in, her blue eyes locked steadily on mine as she gently kissed my left cheek. Her lips lingered just a second longer, brushing lightly against the very corner of my mouth in a soft, teasing touch. My heart sped up, heat rising into my face instantly.
Gabrielle immediately noticed, and she pouted dramatically at Fleur. Fleur gave her sister an innocent, playful smile before stepping back slightly. "Eet was very nice to meet you, 'Arry," Fleur said softly, her voice silky and inviting. "I truly 'ope zat we can meet again soon."
"Me too," I managed to respond, my throat suddenly dry as I stared at her beautiful, amused expression.
Both girls gave us a final charming wave before turning together, their silky blonde hair cascading over their shoulders as they walked away. Dudley and I stood side by side, silently watching the gentle sway of their hips until they disappeared around the corner.
Dudley sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Well, that was a total bust," he grumbled sourly. "Figures. The hottest girls we meet ever turn out to be witches and aren't even remotely interested in me."
I snorted softly, glancing sideways at him. "Tough luck, Dud."
He turned toward me, eyebrows raised hopefully. "You wanna hit up a club or something, Harry? Maybe find some girls who aren't witches and actually notice me?"
I gave him a deadpan stare, crossing my arms over my chest. "Seriously, Dud? After everything we just heard?"
He shrugged, looking sheepish. "Yeah, alright, I guess that's fair."
"I think I'm a little more interested in finding out about this whole wizarding world thing you've all been hiding from me," I said, unable to keep the sharp edge from my voice.
Dudley held his hands up defensively, stepping back slightly. "Whoa, Harry, calm down, alright? I swear it wasn't my fault. Mum and Dad made me promise never to tell you about any of it."
I frowned at him, feeling a tightness in my chest. "But why? What possible reason could you guys have for keeping something so important a secret from me?"
He sighed heavily, shoving his hands into his pockets. "When you didn't get that Hogwarts letter or whatever it is at sixteen, Mum and Dad just figured you weren't magical or something. They thought it'd be better not to bring it up at all, you know, to avoid making you feel bad or something."
I grimaced at his words, feeling frustration bubbling inside me. Was it partly my fault too? I'd always kept my own unique abilities secret from everyone, including my relatives. I'd never trusted them with my strangest secrets-like the wings I'd hidden from everyone, or the fact that I could breathe underwater. Maybe if I'd been honest about myself, they would have been honest about all this magic stuff. And probably continued to not treat me like family as well judging by what Dudley was telling me.
