Je Regrette Rien

-4-

“Oh, Gabrielle, you’ve just got to come,” Dauphine exclaimed when Gabrielle had refused an invitation to her 14^th birthday party.

“I would if it wasn’t for that…that stupid…restriction,” Gabrielle said in a disgusted tone.

“Oh come on, I’ll make an exception for you.”

“But then, I’ll feel like an idiot.”

“Gabrielle…” Dauphine pleaded, trying her best to give puppy dog eyes.

“I’ll see.”

“Thank you Gabby!” Dauphine hugged her around the neck and then dashed off.

“What was zat all about?” asked Fleur who had just walked in, her head practically buried in Bridging the Language Gap (by Germania French).

“Oh, Dauphine invited the whole house to her birthday party.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t think I’ll go though. You aren’t allowed in unless you have a date.”

“Isn’t she only 13?”

“Yeah, but she wants to go with…”

“Let me guess, one of our houseguests. Well if they’re interested in a girl like Dauphine then they can have her!”

“She really isn’t that bad.”

“She eez, She eez. She only cares about boys and lineage and money.”

“But…”

“Gabrielle, if zere eez one thing you must learn from being admired all your life, only on your looks, it eez zat zere are so many more important zings zan catching yourself a rich pureblood.”

“Don’t let Malfoy hear you say that,” Ron said as he walked past the door.

“Who ever ‘e eez, ‘e must be very ignorant,” Fleur said lightly.

“That he is, that he is.”

~*~

“I zink it’s very cute,” Mme Delacour said when Fleur mentioned the party.

“But muzzer…”

“Fleur, darling, please remember Dauphine Aulait was brought up very differently from you and Gabrielle. She learned her prejudices from her parents, it’s been going on for a long time.”

“It’s not right.”

“I know, but zere’s nozing you can do…yet.”

~*~

“So, we can assume we aren’t going?” Seamus asked the boys when had all gone to their room.

“Yeah,” Neville said sadly, “We can’t even get girls at Hogwarts, I don’t think we can be expected to find girls in a foreign country.”

“Sure we can,” Ron laughed. “Five fabulous guys like us shouldn’t have any trouble.” Everyone laughed.

“I’m going to take that as sarcasm,” said Percy who was leaning against the doorframe.

“So that’s how it works, we can’t disturb you, but you can disturb us whenever the mood takes you,” Ron yelled.

“For your information, I was going to talk to you and share some brotherly advice, but forget it.”

“I don’t want your advice anyway.” Percy shrugged and left; Ron got up and slammed the door shut again. “I don’t get him. What could he possibly have to say to me? He doesn’t know anything about getting a girl.”

“Doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, but only one.”

“That’s better than us!” Neville said brightly. Everyone laughed in agreement.

~*~

~The Diary of Gabrielle Delacour~

           

Dauphine has really pulled out all the stops for her 14^th birthday party. She’s been telling me about the string quintet and fancy food. She was over here the other day deciding which one of our guest she likes best.

“I’d ask that Harry boy because he’s famous and all,” she said, “If he wasn’t so scrawny.” I don’t think Dauphine is going to be a friend of mine much longer if she keeps this up. Fleur agrees with me. She thinks Dauphine is silly. I am beginning to see her point.

~*~

Gabrielle slowly closed her diary and gazed around the garden. She had come outside because she couldn’t bear the thought of staying inside on a perfect summer day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, just a light breeze. She looked around her at the sights. There were a few house elves tending to some sort of pink daffodils. And then she let out a little gasp. Down the orchard path, Fleur was walking with Percy. ‘What could they be talking about?’ She wondered.

“I do enjoy my work,” Fleur was saying, “but sometimes you really must take a break. Live life, if you know what I mean.” Percy said nothing; he just looked the other way. “What eez it Percy?”

“Nothing.” He took her hand and Fleur looked both happy and shocked at the same time.

Back at the bench she was sitting on, Gabrielle smiled to herself and she swore she saw a glimpse of that phoenix from the waterfall.

~*~

“Is that Percy?” Dean asked looking at the picture on the mantel in the parlor.

“It’s defiantly a Weasley,” Seamus replied.

“What are you guys looking at?” Ron asked absentmindedly as he ate some sorbet.

“This picture,” Dean handed over a picture that was a little faded. In it were two kids who looked no older than five, a red haired boy in a tuxedo carrying a ring on a pillow. He was walking arm-in-arm with a pretty blonde girl, in a jade green and gold dress, throwing flowers. “Seamus and I think it’s one of your brothers.”

“In the dress?” Dean just glared at him. “I doubt it.”

“I’m not sure,” Neville said, finishing his own sorbet. “I told you before, this place seems familiar. It still does.” All the other boys gave Neville a confused look. Just as he was about to explain further the door burst open.

“Salut,” called Dauphine, “Where eez Gabrielle?” She received shrugs in response. “So, which one of you eez going to be my escort?” Again, shrugs. “What about you?” she said, grabbing Dean by the arm. He looked at her somewhat appalled. The other boys had mixed emotion on their faces. They weren’t the ones being clung to by a hyperactive 13 year old.

“Umm…” He looked toward the other boys with a sort of ‘save me’ look on his face. Ron just mouthed something that looked remarkably like ‘only one with a date.’

“Well, I…I guess so.”

If her thought this would make Dauphine let go he was very wrong, she just clung on tighter. “Merci,” she said squealing.

“Good catch Dean,” Seamus said sarcastically.

~*~

“Bryce Aulait, you come back here this minute!” screamed the voice of Padma Patil. There was no response except confused looks from the staff of the Aulait manor. “Where is he?” Padma demanded of a maid, who just looked at her like she was from another planet; she didn’t speak English.

“Lose your boyfriend again?” Parvati asked with a laugh.

“I didn’t…lose him per say…”

“He’s probably looking for something to eat. He is a bottomless pit after all. So have they started decoration he ballroom for little Dauphine’s party?”

“Absolutely, you should see it. Did we have elaborate parties when we were 13?”

“It wasn’t all that long ago, but I think we had a slumber party and Lavender and Lisa came over, but that’s it.”

“I didn’t think we did, but I had to check in case I got amnesia somewhere along the line.”

“Your memory is in perfect working order.”

“Good. So, speaking of the get together, are you going?”

“I doubt it.”

“Even if I could arrange someone…. Seamus Finnegan, for example?”

Parvati blushed and extreme shade of crimson, “Well…I…I.”

“Don’t stutter. It’s pretty obvious that you fancy him.”

“I do not!”

“You do too. The way you were looking at him at the Eiffel Tower speaks for itself.” Parvati didn’t respond, she was in shock, still blushing furiously. “Well that settles it. I’ll send Bryce over to the Delacour’s as soon as I find him.”

“You called?” asked a male voice from the doorway.