beautiful distraction [fleur]

[WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY]

Bill hadn't heard from his mother or father for the past few days, but he wasn't worried just yet. If his mother or father was concerned about something, than they would let him know. And since Ron and Ginny or any of the others for that matter. He would probably still want to see them in the next day or two though. For the moment, he was rather enjoying his new place in London. it had been a long time since he had actively lived in England. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed it until he was back. Egypt had been wonderful, but it was nice to have the change of pace.

He ran a hand through his red bangs, pushing them back as he came up from the vaults. It had been a long day but it just proved to him once more just how much he actually did love his job. It was crazy how that kind of thing worked. Then again, there was one benefit to have the job here in London that Egypt didn't have: the pretty blonde working at the counter. he had met Fleur Delacour briefly at the end of the TriWizard Tournament. He hadn't thought he would get to see her after that. It had been a wonderful surprise when he had realized she had taken a job for Gringotts.

A surprise and a chance for him. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he slipped his hands into his pockets and moved across the foyer until he came up behind her. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked as he looked over her shoulder. "I can't imagine doing this kind of thing. Seems like it would get boring after a while. Probably why I have too much fun playing with the curses he admitted with a dark chuckle. "Bill Weasley," he said holding out his hand. "We met earlier this year at Hogwarts."

[FLEUR ISABELLE DELACOUR]

Fleur put down her quill, staring out the window, daydreaming just a bit. She missed her little sister, Gabrielle. It had been at least two weeks since she had last seen her. Really there was no excuse for it; she was only working part-time at Gringotts. But she found it hard to leave her new place. For the first time she was entirely on her own, with no one to depend on but herself, something she was still trying to get used to. Her parents would occasionally offer to help her out financially, and when she was first furnishing her flat she had graciously accepted the help. But now...now she preferred to pay for things on her own. She was an adult now, she needed to act like one.

Taking the part-time job at Gringotts had been a fairly difficult decision for her. She hated to leave Gabrielle, but she would be starting Beauxbatons in a few years and wouldn't be around anyway. The only way Fleur would be able to start her adult life was to leave. She needed a source of income, and the part-time job provided just enough. Plus, it gave her the opportunity to work on her English. She adored speaking French, and was very proud of her heritage, but she was ready for a change, and London was her new home now. Yes, quite a few people around town spoke French, but there were still those awkward moments when she needed something at the market, or needed help finding directions and couldn't find anyone who understood her. She was making slow progress, and having quite a hard time getting rid of her thick accent, but, for the most part, she could speak broken English fairly well.

She turned her attention back to her work, checking over the records to make sure she hadn't made any mistakes. She was very meticulous when she was at work; she couldn't afford to make mistakes. And, oddly enough, she liked working. The goblins could be a bit rude, but they left her alone and didn't force her to make awkward small talk. All in all it seemed to be like the perfect place for her. Not to mention the fact that there was a rather attractive red head who worked down in the vaults. Bill Weasley. She had met him once before during the Triwizard Tournament. He wasn't her usual type at all, but for some reason she had been drawn to him. Maybe it was his personality, or maybe it was the fact that he seemed so close to his large family. Either way, getting the opportunity to work anywhere near him was just another perk of the job.

She was so engrossed in her work and her own thoughts that she didn't hear him come up behind her. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked as he looked over her shoulder, his sudden unexpected presence causing her to drop her quill. "I can't imagine doing this kind of thing. Seems like it would get boring after a while. Probably why I have too much fun playing with the curses," he admitted with a dark chuckle. "Bill Weasley," he said holding out his hand. "We met earlier this year at Hogwarts." Fleur carefully picked up the quill, replacing it on the counter before gently shaking his hand.

"I remember you," she replied. "You were wizh your family to cheer on one of zee ozher tributes, 'arry I believe?" She gestured to her record books, saying, "Trust me, I do better here zhan I ever would doing what you do." Fleur smiled at him for a moment, her more impulsive side taking over. "Since zhese goblins are not very good company, would you like to go get somezhing to eat after work?" she asked hopefully. She knew it was ridiculous to be acting this way; it was completely inappropriate for a girl to ask a guy out in such a way! She immediately blushed, words slipping out quickly in French. "Je suis désolé. Oublier que j'ai dit." She looked down, flipping through the pages of the record book, silently cursing herself for coming off as such an idiot.

[WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY]

He took her by surprise and that made him smile. He should have been apologetic about it, but he was a Weasley. It was in their nature to play little pranks every now and then. Except for Percy. His younger brother had always been the odd one out. He had never understood why Percy was so cold and distant. He was so proper. On the one hand, Bill could understand, but really there had to be a limit. Oh well, it was just another of the many conversations that he would have to have with his brother. They really needed to just have weekly dinners or lunches where they could have those conversations. He doubted that Percy would agree, but he probably wouldn't give his brother a choice and that just made him smile. Someone needed to torture Percy. It was good for the guy. Especially since he was so determined to avoid their family.

He nodded at the memory of the tournament. "Aye," he agreed. "One of my brother's best mates is Harry Potter. We were there to support him since..." Bill trailed off. "It's hard to do things without a family to support you. I suppose that we've tried to step up to be that for Harry." And it wasn't easy, but it was something that Bill would take back either. He couldn't imagine living his life without his family. It was probably why he was so ready and willing to be there for the boy even though his family hadn't asked him to be. He could still remember hearing about Harry Potter. No, he was quite pleased to be able to give the boy the only family he didn't seem to have.

Bill shrugged at her comment. "I suppose we all have to have our own skill sets," he granted. "Not everyone can do the insane things. We have to have the practical souls around to keep the world alive," he pointed out. And he could actually be very practical when he chose to be. But most days he just didn't want to bother. He was still at a point in his life where he could be a little while and crazy. He didn't have a family to take care of after all. He still had a few more years before he had to be more practical than crazy rather than crazy instead of practical.

He was actually a little surprised when she said that she wanted to go out to dinner with him. Girls didn't usually ask him out. Even if it was casual, which it probably was, they just didn't. They usually left that kind of thing to him. A smirk curled his lip as he leaned forward. "Well, you put it that way, how could I possibly say no?" he asked. "Did you have something in particular in mind?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

[FLEUR ISABELLE DELACOUR]

A smirk curled his lip as he leaned forward. "Well, you put it that way, how could I possibly say no?" he asked. "Did you have something in particular in mind?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

Fleur was shocked that he had actually agreed to meeting her, especially with the manner in which she had asked him. It was blunt, and improper, and she shouldn't have done it. She had put him in an awkward position now; how could he turn her down? Bill seemed like a nice gentleman, he didn't seem like the type to do anything to hurt a woman in any way. Refusing her after she had made an impromptu dinner offer? It just didn't feel like something he would do. Then again, he also didn't seem like the type to do anything he didn't want to do.

Fleur smiled and nodded, pulling out a small slip of paper, writing down a restaurant and address, handing it to him when she was finished. "I'll be there at seven. Come if you'd like," she said, closing her record book, walking past him. She turned her book into the goblin, ignoring his rude comments about the fact that she had written some things in French.

She headed back to her flat, taking a quick shower before changing into a casual dress. Even if it was just a friendly dinner get together she still wanted to look good; it was something her mother had raised her to believe. After one last check, she headed down to the little French restaurant she had told Bill to meet her at. Her parents and the owners were good friends, and visited anytime they were in London. She reserved a table, but stayed outside, curious as to whether or not he would actually show up.

After only a few minutes of waiting she was starting to get nervous. Maybe it had been stupid to ask him to dinner. Maybe she should have just stayed home. Why on earth would he want to go out to dinner with someone like her? For starters, he barely knew her. Second, he seemed like a genuinely good person, which Fleur did not quite think that she was. From the way he spoke of them, he seemed like a very family oriented person, and Fleur was definitely not. Yes, she was very attached to her sister, but that was where her family attachment ended.

She twirled her bracelet around on her wrist, looking down the road, trying to see if she could spot any sign of the red haired Weasley.

[WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY]

He was grinning from ear to ear when she gave him the slip of paper. He had every intention of being there. "You continue to flatter me love," Bill teased her lightly. He almost gave her an answer, but then decided against it. He could consider this a little bit of a surprise. He could imagine that a girl like Fleur would appreciate that kind of thing. Or he hoped that she did. Otherwise he was going to be in some serious trouble come tonight. He winced at the thought after she looked away. God he hoped he wasn't coming across as an ass. He wanted her attention, after all, not her ire.

Bill made sure that he clocked out before he actually left the bank. He had been working since early this morning so it was lucky that he could be off and have so much time to get ready. Considering how long it had been since he had had a date, or a casual dinner-you never know, he had to have time to make sure that he was in pristine condition. He had to impress. After all, she was exactly his type. Pretty. Blonde. And, from what he had seen so far, smart. He couldn't think of anything wrong with that.

Bill apparated back to his apartment and showered quickly. When he got out he still had plenty of time. He wasn't sure what happened after that as he looked through his clothes trying to figure out what to wear. All he knew was that at one point he still had thirty minutes and the next he had five. The eldest Weasley child swore and chose his outfit quickly not even noticing that he grabbed the bright pink stripped socks that his brothers, Fred and George, had given him for his birthday last year. He finger-combed his red hair and straightened the silver bow-tie before apparating as close as he could to the restaurant.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened the black suit coat he was wearing as he walked down the street. He felt a big grin spread over on his face as he spotted Fleur sitting in front of the restaurant. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized as he joined her. "I got a little distracted," he admitted. "Had to make sure I could look good enough to compliment a pretty lady." And that was the truth. He wasn't sure if he had actually been able to manage it or not, but he had sure as hell tried his best.

[FLEUR ISABELLE DELACOUR]

note: Emma is not good at faking Fleur's French accent so it will fade in and out. Just pretend she's speaking horribly accented English.


She looked up, involuntarily smiling as she spotted him. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized as he joined her. "I got a little distracted," he admitted. "Had to make sure I could look good enough to compliment a pretty lady." She smiled and rolled her eyes; he didn't need to try to look good just because he thought she was pretty. "You look very handsome," she said flashing him a smile. A waiter came up, bringing them two glasses of wine, and Fleur thanked him in French, asking him to bring them two menus. She wasn't sure if Bill was familiar with French cuisine, so she ordered somewhat of a sampler, giving him a few different options.

She had a quick discussion with one of the owners when their food came out, quickly turning her attention back to Bill. She still couldn't believe that he was here with her now. As she made idle chit chat with him she couldn't help but be affected by his infectious personality. He was funny, and happy, and charming, and everything that Fleur gravitated towards. He was the kind of person who could make even a bad day somehow better.

She asked him questions about his family, curious to know more about them. They had always sounded so close from the way he spoke, and she valued that in a person. She talked a bit about her own little sister as well, instantly brightening even more when she did. She hadn't seen Gabrielle in far too long, and made a mental note to do so on her next day off. Better yet, why not just have Gabby come stay with her for a few days? Since she was homeschooled it wouldn't be that big of a deal for her to just being her work with her. And it would save Fleur from having to interact with her parents.

She shook off her thoughts, looking down as she realized they had already finished their dinner. She frowned a bit; that meant that their date was over, and that she was going to have to leave him. She wasn't ready to leave him just yet. "How about we go for a walk in the park?" she suggested. "It's still early and I'm not ready to go home just yet." She knew that it was a stupid excuse, but she couldn't think if anything else. The wine was clouding her brain; either that, or the fact that she was already absolutely smitten with Bill. It wasn't like her to fall for someone so quickly, but he wasn't like anyone she had ever met before.

[WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY]

It was hard not to enjoy dinner when there was a pretty girl sitting across from you. He was fairly certain that he was ginning like an idiot the whole time. Normally that might have bothered him, but today he felt like it was a good thing. At least the twin's weren't around to mock him. He answered her questions as best as he could, sometimes adding in little stories about his siblings and their antics. Considering who all of his siblings were, he actually had more of those stories than most people would have probably thought was healthy, but he liked them. He liked talking about his family. It was one of the benefits of growing up in such a large and tight-knit family.

Of course it probably didn't help that he was distracted by the fact she had called him handsome. It was stupid really, but it had made him smile. He liked getting compliments as much as any other person. And hearing them from a pretty girl made them that much better. He would probably make a better impression on her if he could stop acting like an idiot. But he couldn't help it. Besides, it was nice to be out with someone. He was starting to count it as a date at this point. He could only hope that she felt the same way or else it would make things very difficult and more than just a little awkward for both of them come the end of the night.

Bill tried to keep his eyebrows from shooting up at her suggestion even as his grin got bigger. Yeah, he was definitely an idiot. But he didn't mind in a case like this. And, if he wasn't wrong, she didn't seem to mind either. "I'd be glad to," he assured her. He hoped out of his chair and carefully moved around to help her out of her chair, offering her his arm as he made sure to leave money for the bill. "You're right. It is far too young to go home. You can't really appreciate the stars at home. You're always too busy with everything else," he said offering Fleur a smile as he led her away to the park.

[FLEUR ISABELLE DELACOUR]

"I'd be glad to," he assured her. He hoped out of his chair and carefully moved around to help her out of her chair, offering her his arm as he made sure to leave money for the bill. "You're right. It is far too young to go home. You can't really appreciate the stars at home. You're always too busy with everything else," he said offering Fleur a smile as he led her away to the park. She wasn't sure what she was doing right now. Ever since school had ended, Fleur typically kept to herself. She didn't go out on dates, and rarely even tried to make new friends. She was focused on working, and on visiting her sister. Plus, her English still wasn't that great, which made some conversations awkward.

But Bill didn't seem to mind any of her weird quirks. He seemed perfectly able to decipher what she was trying to say. He didn't mind that she could sometimes be very upfront--which often comes off as her being rude. And he didn't seem to mind talking about family, which was something that was very important to Fleur. Everything about him so far seemed perfect, and complimented her in every way. And that kind of scared her.

Fleur hadn't really had very many serious relationships in her life. Most people found it difficult to get close enough to her to accomplish that. Something about the idea of being so attached to someone scared her. Things happen, people leave, that was life. Fleur couldn't stand the thought of ever losing her little sister, and she wasn't sure she could deal with being so attached to someone else. She blushed as she pulled Bill to sit down next to her on a nearby bench. It was foolish to already be thinking of Bill in that way. Yes, they had had a very nice dinner, but that was all. They were simply acquaintances, nothing more. Besides, Bill had probably only come to be polite; it was very possible that he had no interest in being anything but friends with her. She stiffened a bit at the thought, instantly feeling embarrassed. Why the hell was she thinking like this? She had no reason to feel this way towards someone she barely knew. She tried to shut off her thoughts, turning her attention to him.

"Thank you for coming tonight, William. It was very nice of you."

[WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY]

Bill walked next to Fleur but he was off in his head. Which seemed strange. Why should he be so distracted when there was such a beautiful woman next to him. He had never seen someone so lovely in his whole life. He knew that part of it was probably because she was part veela but he wanted to think that it was more than that. After all, he was a practical sort of person. You couldn't work at Gringott's breaking curses if you weren't. Too many flights of fancy and you could get yourself or someone else killed or worse. No, despite his imagination, which was vast, Bill had always thought himself to be rational.

So why couldn't he focus on the very beautiful girl next to him rather than his own thoughts? He couldn't even explain his thoughts. He was fairly certain he didn't even have any. There was just Fleur, beautiful Fleur. He was still surprised she had even wanted to go out to dinner with him. He knew he wasn't ugly but he certainly wasn't the most good-looking gent in the world and even Fleur deserved to have that near her at all times didn't she? Especially when she was out in public. It didn't stop him from hoping and enjoying things however. He wasn't going to back down just because he probably would never have a chance. He was practical, not stupid.

Though there might have been a few who argued otherwise in that area.

A smile touched his lips as she tugged him down onto a bench with her. Bill found himself beaming at the girl he would really have liked to call his date. If only he could be that lucky. "Oh please, call me Bill. Everyone does," he explained. It was so strange for anyone to call him William. Even the goblins knew not to. He had simply gotten to the point, with them, where he refused to even answer. "Besides, the pleasure's all mine. Not often a guy can go out into public with a pretty girl, is it?"