The Veela Chronicles

The Veela Chronicles: Book One (1/12)

Chapter One: Thirteen Years for a Fourth

Fleur Delacour knocked on the door of the handsome mansion hidden deeply in the forests of Reims. The heavy sound echoed and bounced between the trees, announcing their arrival for the evening. The trees stirred in anticipation. It was not an ordinary evening in the Reims, for the magic seemed thicker and more tangible than the ever-present moonlight.

"I remember this well," thought Fleur. "As it was for me, it will be for Gabrielle."

She turned around and regarded her sister. Gabrielle stood a few meters away, the lone other figure in front of the mansion. Her face was white and her usual chatty demeanor was silenced by nervousness. Fleur smiled sympathetically.

"It's alright Gabrielle. We all go through this. It's an honor. I promise," she said.

Gabrielle looked up at Fleur, her gray eyes unblinking.

"Then why can't you tell me what's going on?" she asked quietly.

"Because I cannot," replied Fleur simply.

Gabrielle looked sadly down at her feet. A gust of wind came along, disarraying her long, straight hair.

"Gabrielle," Fleur implored. "I told you to wear a hood."

Gabrielle's mouth opened in indignation.

"Yes, I know, there was no time," Fleur cut her off. "But Grandmother will be furious. Here, take mine."

Fleur unwound her silvery hood, her own hair slipping out to beyond her waist, and handed it to her sister. Gabrielle quickly fastened it over her own hair, having gone even paler at the prospect of infuriating Grandmother.

"Why doesn't someone answer the door?" she asked, her voice squeaking.

"They are gathering," replied Fleur. "It shouldn't be too much longer now. Yes, listen?"

Gabrielle listened hard. At first she heard nothing but the gusts of wind. Then slowly she began to make out a pecking noise. It was coming from deep within the Reims. It was soon joined by similar noises, which sounded much closer. Fleur smiled serenely and patiently waited, staring off into the forest.

The clouds seemed to thin, letting in more moonlight. It grew thicker and thicker until Gabrielle was positive the trees were glowing.

She blinked and looked more carefully. The trees were glowing. She took a step back to get closer to Fleur. As they waited the pecking sounds filled the air, rising to brilliant crescendo. Suddenly, the pecking stopped and beautiful singing surrounded them. The moonlight began to focus and hundreds of Veela materialized in the forest engulfing the mansion.

Fleur leaned over and whispered in Gabrielle's ear, "This is when you must stand on your own." She gracefully walked over to the group of Veela standing directly in front of them, which Gabrielle now recognized as including her mother and grandmother.

Her grandmother smiled elegantly and nodded her head at Fleur before turning her attention to Gabrielle. Gabrielle suddenly felt very young and awkward, very unsure of what was happening. Her mind raced, but drew complete blanks.

Grandmother stepped forward. Her lengthy silver hair grazed the ground as she walked. Her large gray eyes fixated on her youngest granddaughter.

"Gabrielle Haakon Delacour," she said melodically in a voice that carried over the softly singing Veela. "You will soon be thirteen."

Gabrielle would have nodded, but her face was still frozen in anticipation.

Her grandmother leaned in closely. "Then it is time," she continued, "that you learn about your magical duty as a Veela." She straightened once again. "In addition to your obligations, there are many rewards. Those that stand before you are rich with the magical knowledge of our kind. They would like to teach it to you, if you are willing." She eyed Gabrielle speculatively. "Are you willing, young granddaughter?"

Gabrielle blinked rapidly as some of her apprehension went away.

"Yes, I am willing," she answered.

Her grandmother smiled broadly. "Then let us begin!" she sang, clapping her hands. The other Veela joined in, their singing growing louder and more joyous as Iwona Haakon took her granddaughter by the hand and led her into the forest.

"Come, come!" she said excitingly to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle smiled and eagerly followed. "She doesn't look nervous now," observed Fleur, smiling to herself. "I remember this as one of my fondest memories. Her head will be reeling before this is over. So much to learn! So many to meet!"

Fleur and the others followed Iwona and Gabrielle to a small clearing in the forest. As they approached, two trees swung down until they were parallel with the ground, forming a makeshift couch. Iwona sat upon it and gestured for Gabrielle to join her. The rest of the Veela formed a spiral line around them. Gabrielle and Fleur's mother, Lisbeth, stood closest to her daughter.

Lisbeth reached over and kissed her daughter.

"Once upon a time, centuries ago, magical nature created the Veela," Lisbeth started. "Veela possessed the beauty of the moon, the grace of the water, the stealth of the shadow, and the cunning of nature itself. All creatures wished to possess them, to be near them. This is how you began."

Lisbeth took a seat on the other side of Gabrielle. Fleur stepped forward, giving Gabrielle a hug.

"Time went on and Veela did not change, though the world did," Fleur continued the tale. "Beauty, grace, stealth, and cunning served them well, as they allowed themselves to be served."

Fleur stood aside and made room for her Aunt Darda, who fixated her unblinking eyes on Gabrielle.

"But through it all, Veela were misunderstood," she intoned. "Those not chosen to share a Veela's company grew jealous. They tried to cast the Veela out."

Darda made way for her eldest daughter Brenev.

"But the Veela grew strong," said Brenev, an openly cruel smile on her lovely face. "The more Veela were hated, the more precious Veela became."

Brenev's younger sister, Rusa, was next.

"Veela magic did not falter," said Rusa, who had a much more subtle cruel smile on her face. "This," she hissed, "is how it works."

One by one the Veela went through the line, explaining to Gabrielle that her magic lie in her very body - the curve of her hips and the pout of her lips, and that this magic worked best on men who were already in love. A fully trained Veela could transfer those emotions onto herself. They gave Gabrielle pointers and suggestions, tips and closely guarded secrets.

Gabrielle discovered that Veela had a long history, and that there were different kinds! Most Veela, like herself, had fair hair and could turn into birds. Others had red hair and turned into swans and serpents. These red-haired Veela were almost extinct, for a reason Gabrielle did not learn.

They explained that her hair must be prized above all else, and never cut, for it held an intense magic all its own. When strands were transferred to wands or arrows, the results were astonishing. Like Fleur, Gabrielle's wand held a strand of Veela hair from their grandmother. But she did not know that strands were routinely put into the arrows of the Veela's special friends, and that to be scratched by one meant instant death.

And she learned about these special friends! Called Sileni, they were a companion race to Veela. It was only with Sileni that Veela could mate and have full-blooded Veela daughters. She also learned that the Veela never had sons!

She learned that Veela were especially susceptible to drowning, and preferred to spend their time among the trees, which provided natural habitats to Veela in their bird-state. Gabrielle felt guilty learning this, as she remembered Fleur's dismal performance "rescuing" her from the merpeople in the Tri-Wizard Tournament a few years back. She had often wondered how her sister, such an amazing witch the rest of the time, had managed to get thwarted by something as silly as a grindylow.

Gabrielle was also assured that being one-fourth Veela was enough to use their magic, although she couldn't turn into a bird without first learning transfiguration, which was purely a witch trait. Again, Gabrielle thought of Fleur and how Fleur transfigured into the most beautiful bird she had ever seen - much more attractive than the normal Veela. Being part human obviously had its perks!

She was introduced to short glimpses of new dances and singing techniques, with promises that they could be practiced later during the gathering, when they left the woods to celebrate in the mansion.

By the end of the ceremony, Gabrielle's head was whirling. She had never imagined there was so much involved in being part Veela.

"Mere," she said to her mother as the line finally ended. "What happens now?"

Her grandmother answered. "Now, we go to my mansion and really start to celebrate."

"Oui," agreed Lisbeth. "The hard part is over. Now we have fun!"

Gabrielle looked around for her sister. The Veela had broken any semblance of order and were milling about eagerly anticipating the party.

"Come, come," said her grandmother. "Fleur will be there. But you are the guest of honor! We cannot keep our guests waiting."

With her mother on one arm and her grandmother on the other, Gabrielle started off towards the mansion.

***

Fleur perched herself on the sofa. It was a luxurious sofa stuffed with soft feathers. It sat in the grand library, whose shelves were filled with expensive trinkets and treasures, instead of books.

Veela milled everywhere, chatting and gossiping amongst themselves. They did not gather too often -- thirteen-year-olds birthdays and weddings mostly, unless they were hired to perform at some large event.

Fleur watched Gabrielle with amusement. She seemed to be having a wonderful time as two Veela taught her how to move her hips in small figure eights.

"Not bad, for a fourth," said a contemptuous voice.

Fleur whipped her head around angrily, already knowing its source. A tall Veela stood to her right, idly flicking her hair, a bored expression on her face.

"Brenev," she said, coldly acknowledging her cousin.

"Oh, Fleur," Brenev said, turning to her as if she just saw her. "I was just telling my sister that Gabrielle is a surprisingly fair dancer."

"Yes," chimed in Rusa, idly adjusting her robes to their most flattering position. "Of course, she is only a fourth, so we don't expect too much from her."

Brenev gave Fleur a condescending smile.

"Now Rusa," she said silkily, her green eyes twinkling. "Just because Fleur has chosen to embarrass herself as an 'almighty wizard' doesn't mean that Gabrielle will do the same."

Rusa giggled. "Yes, I think Gabrielle will remember that Veela and wizard contests don't agree. How did you do again Fleur? Last place? And you almost killed Gabrielle, no?"

Fleur took on an expression of aloofness, although she was seething. "Do not lower yourself to their level Fleur," she told herself sternly, holding an internal battle to hold back the worst of the snide remarks that were bubbling to the surface.

"Some of us can see beyond our place as pretty things and guard animals, and some of us cannot," she replied.

"Oh, do you mean the Veela?" asked Brenev innocently, flicking her hair. "Or fourths like yourself that have no real understanding of true Veela power? Fourths who have no choice but to work silly charms and hope some man will notice them so they can breed children their whole life!"

Rusa laughed outloud at this. Fleur's eyes darkened as she struggled to keep her composure.

"Girls!" Rusa's laughter had drawn the attention of their grandmother. Fleur, Brenev, and Rusa immediately snapped themselves to attention. Fleur's hand flew up to make sure her hair was in place while Brenev and Rusa changed their facial expressions from snide to simpering. Iwona surveyed them critically, raising one eyebrow delicately over her lovely eyes.

"How nice to see you all getting along," she said, pursing her lips. Fleur couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

"Why, yes Grandmother," gushed Brenev. "We were admiring Gabrielle's dancing."

"I see," she said, giving Brenev another incomprehensible look. She turned to Rusa. "Have you not shared your good news?"

Rusa beamed, "Not yet Grandmother. I didn't want to steal the spotlight away from Gabrielle." She lowered her eyes modestly. The smallest smirk betrayed her true feelings.

"What a disgusting act," Fleur thought angrily.

"Well," Iwona replied. "I believe Gabrielle will be grateful for a true Veela role model." This time she cast a look at Fleur, the meaning of which wasn't vague at all. Fleur's face burned in embarrassment.

"Attention! Attention!" Iwona clapped her hands, turning around to face the room. "We have an announcement to make."

The room grew quiet as the Veela stopped socializing to look at Iwona. She waited for complete silence, which didn't take long to get. Iwona was one of the most esteemed Veela around. The mansion filled with treasures attested to that.

A beautiful smile spread over Iwona's face as she placed an arm around Rusa. "Today we are celebrating the thirteenth birthday of my youngest grandaughter," she started. "But another one of my granddaughters has something to celebrate as well. I hope you will all join me in congratulating her. Today, I would like to officially announce the engagement of Rusa Vuks Haakon to Viktor Novak!"

The room erupted into cheers. Fleur looked over to her sister. Gabrielle had a surprised look on her face and was blinking very rapidly.

"Oh no," thought Fleur, her heart wrenching. "Not Viktor Novak! Poor Gabrielle!"

No one but Fleur knew of her sister's crush on Viktor. It was a silly crush, a child's crush on a celebrity, Fleur knew. But it was cruel for Gabrielle to learn of his engagement at her celebration. Gabrielle was so sensitive.

Fleur watched as Gabrielle plastered a fake smile on her face, clapping along with the rest of the Veela. Iwona was continuing her speech.

"Oui! Novak and Rusa! The hero and the Veela! It is just like old times." She smiled grandly at Rusa. "Perhaps you will have a mansion that will rival Harald's here, hmm?"

Rusa batted her eyelashes. "Oh, no one could rival Grandfather! Except you of course!"

The room erupted into laughter, Rusa and Iwona looked very pleased with themselves. Fleur was the only person to notice Gabrielle slip away and head outside the back of the mansion. All but forgotten herself, Fleur followed her.

Once outside the mansion, Fleur was unsure of which direction to take. To the right lay the magnificent gardens, filled with magically enhanced fauna that actually followed the person around, blooming and twisting its stems and vines as if performing a floral dance. To the left lay the pond, surrounded by tall trees. Water fairies captured and played with the moonlight, casting delightful patterns over the gentle waves.

Fleur chose left. She walked along the stone path towards the pond. After a few steps, she could hear someone crying softly.

"Gabrielle," she called quietly. "Gabrielle?"

She heard sniffing sounds. She turned around the trunk of a tree and found Gabrielle, desperately trying to wipe her eyes dry before Fleur could see her tears.

"Oh, hello," she said brightly. "I… I just wanted some air. It was stuffy in there. I was hot from all the dancing."

"Gabrielle," admonished Fleur. "Do not lie to me."

Gabrielle looked up, her lip quivering.

"Come here," said Fleur, holding out her arms for a hug. Gabrielle leapt into them.

"Oh, Fleur. Why? Why I am being so silly?" she started sobbing again. "I know it's wrong, but," she looked up tearfully, her mouth forming a grim line. "But, I hate her!"

Fleur was a bit taken aback by Gabrielle's choice of words, but she kept silent.

"She is all wrong for him!" Gabrielle was practically yelling now. "Not that I know her that well, but, he - he is too wonderful to be caught by Veela powers."

Fleur raised an eyebrow at her.

"Not that Veela powers are bad," explained Gabrielle hastily. "It's just that a man like Novak deserves more. He's so brave, and smart, and kind, and, well, he just deserves better. Why, he single-handedly defeated a pack of werewolves in Bulgaria just last month! He deserves someone that is equally brave and smart and good. Not just a Veela, but a witch-Veela," she finished, not even blushing as she spoke with true conviction.

"Like you?" asked Fleur.

"Well," Gabrielle bit her lip and looked down. "I know I'm still twelve, but yes! Like me. Or like you," she gave Fleur a meaningful look.

Fleur smiled at her. "I'm not the least bit interested in Novak Gabrielle," she said.

"I know," Gabrielle replied. "But if you were, you'd have made a much better match than Rusa. She doesn't even do anything, does she?"

"Non," answered Fleur slowly, trying not to think of her own situation.

"Then what does he see in her?" asked Gabrielle indigently.

When Fleur didn't answer Gabrielle looked at her sharply.

"You know something," she accused. "You know something and you're not telling me!" Gabrielle looked like she was going to burst into fresh tears.

"Gabrielle," started Fleur.

"Non! Tell me!" ordered Gabrielle. "Tell me right now!"

Fleur remained quiet. "Non Gabrielle," she thought. "We don't want to get into this right now. It'll only make you feel worse."

But her thoughts could not contain Gabrielle's churning mind. Her eyes widened as she began to guess.

"He, he's Sileni isn't he?" she whispered.

"Yes, he is," the voice came out from the shadows, "He is full-blooded Sileni in fact."

Fleur jumped, gathering Gabrielle closer to her. They looked towards the direction of the voice. The man chuckled.

"How rude of me," he said, stepping out into a stream of moonlight. "I didn't mean to startle you."

He was tall and had an aged, craggy face. But instead of making him ugly, the lines and scars gave him the look of a wizened man in the prime of his life. His dark eyes showed his true age - not too young and not too old. Black hair hung down one side of his face, long bangs reaching his red mouth. He lifted half of it in a sneer. But instead of making him unfriendly, the half-smile gave him the look of a very intriguing man. They had never seen anything like him before.

"My name's Marko," He lengthened the words as he spoke. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm speaking to Ms Delacour and Ms Delacour, daughters of Lisbeth and Philippe?" he inquired.

"Gabrielle and Fleur," Gabrielle answered, quickly detaching herself from her sister. She was unable to take her eyes off the man. "How do you do?"

He nodded to Gabrielle and raised an eyebrow at Fleur, who was starting to glare at him. "I do very well," he said.

"Can we help you?" asked Fleur haughtily. "You seem to be lost. This is private property, and there is a private celebration going on." She eyed him suspiciously. "You were not invited."

Marko laughed dryly, much to her dismay. "Oh no," thought Fleur. "If this is the Marko I think it is, then I want him as far away as possible."

"I'm merely offering my assistance," he said, looking again to Gabrielle. "I was out for a stroll and I couldn't help but overhear this charming young woman, Gabrielle. She seemed upset. I didn't want to interrupt, but I wanted to make sure she was taken care of."

Gabrielle looked embarrassed and pleased all at the same time. She gave Marko a shy smile.

"She is fine," snapped Fleur, no longer trying to be polite. "I assure you, you can go."

"Wait!" Gabrielle didn't want him to go. She spared Fleur a quick glare before turning her attentions back to Marko.

"Please excuse my sister," she said sweetly. "It's been a long evening and I'm sure Fleur is just tired."

Marko strengthened his half-smile.

"It's perfectly alright," he said smoothly. Fleur scowled harder at him.

"Gabrielle," she told her sister. "We have to leave."

Gabrielle artfully darted Fleur's arm, stepping closer to Marko.

"Do you know Novak?" she asked him, ignoring her sister.

"Yes, I do," answered Marko. "He's a good man, an ambitious man, but too preoccupied with purity to notice that it's always the interesting people that gain the most out of life." He finally lifted the other half of his mouth. "People like you Gabrielle, and Fleur, and people like me."

Gabrielle looked at him, still avoiding Fleur's angry gaze. "Are you Sileni as well?" she asked.

"I am," he answered. "I am also half-human. I've found that it gives me the best of both worlds." He gave Gabrielle a glance that Fleur didn't like one bit.

"Now Gabrielle!" said Fleur, forcefully grabbing her.

Marko chuckled as Fleur began to lead Gabrielle away. "Until we meet again," he called, retreating back into the shadows. Fleur hastened her step, eager to get away from him.

"Fleur!" hissed Gabrielle as soon as they were out of earshot. "Let me go!"

Fleur loosened her grip and Gabrielle squirmed away, rubbing her arm where Fleur had grabbed it.

"What were you doing back there?" Fleur asked her angrily.

"What was I doing back there?" asked Gabrielle in surprise. "What were you doing back there? I know you can be rude, but that was amazing even for you!"

Fleur shot her an icy look. "You are too young to understand," she snapped, before she realized it was entirely the wrong thing to say.

Gabrielle looked as if she had been stung. "Too young?" she yelled. "What do I have to do to prove to you that I am able to understand? I understand all about it. You were just jealous because he was paying more attention to me!"

Fleur opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by yet another voice further up the path.

"Fleur! Gabrielle! There you are," their mother's voice floated down to them. "Where have you been? Fleur, how could you take away your sister from her own party?"

Gabrielle ran up to her mother and linked arms with her. Lisbeth smiled at her. "Oh Mere," she said. "I think Fleur was a little upset to hear that Rusa was engaged." She shot a look back at Fleur, cementing the fact that she was still angry with her.

Before Fleur could protest Lisbeth was lecturing her.

"Honestly Fleur," she sighed. "Are you that jealous of Rusa? I didn't think you cared much about things like engagements at all, with all your wizard things going on, not that you have been doing much lately," she added meaningfully. Lisbeth was a witch too, but not a very good one. She was always very proud of her daughters for embracing their wizarding heritage.

"I don't" answered Fleur sullenly, giving up on hiding her emotions for the evening. "It was Gabrielle who was upset."

"Oh hush," said Lisbeth. "Jealousy is not becoming on you."

"Mere," said Gabrielle, starting to feel a little guilty about being mean to Fleur. "I have a question. If Veela can only have girl babies with Sileni, then where do the Sileni come from?

"Oh," said Lisbeth, "There are female Sileni, but they are so terribly drab, no one speaks of them much. They have babies with each other. But it's still rare, and becoming rarer, to find full-blooded Sileni, even though they live very long. Not that it really matters. Any male with at least a fourth Sileni heritage can mate with Veela to have Veela children."

"Is Pere Sileni?" asked Gabrielle.

"Non," Lisbeth answered. "You and Fleur would have been full-Veela! He is all muggle."

"And noble," added Gabrielle, her voice full of pride. "I just didn't know if Sileni were ever non-magical."

"The Sileni are always magical," Lisbeth said.

As they returned to the mansion, Fleur listened to her sister and mother chatter away. "I do not like this," she thought. "This Marko, he is not a nice man. There are many stories, all of them suspicious." She puzzled further. "And what was he doing here? How did he know Gabrielle and I?"

Fleur looked ahead to Gabrielle's cheerful demeanor then back to where Marko had stood, unable to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.