Charms and Curses

Wheee! ANOTHER chapter! Be happy!!

As always, disclaimers apply. I own nothing. Don't sue. It's that simple.

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Soon, the two came upon a child no older than six, huddled in a corner, crying bitterly. Fleur's eyes widened, and she immediately knelt down in front of the boy, asking softly, "What is ze matter, mon cher?"

The boy looked up, big chocolate-drop eyes full of tears. "Where is my mama?" he asked, lip quivering.

Bill looked around the marketplace. "Where did you last see your mother?"

The boy's voice was muffled by his tears, "Mama was sick this morning, so Pappy took her to see the healer. He told me to wait here, and that he would be back by lunchtime. But lunchtime is over, and he is not back! Mama and Pappy don't want me any more..." he started sobbing harder, and impulsively threw himself into Fleur's arms, seeking comfort.

Fleur glanced down at the child in her arms, face buried in her neck and brown arms wrapped around her back. Instinctively, she put her arms around him, and looked over his head pleadingly at Bill.

"Bill, please, go and buy 'im some food. 'E must be 'ungry after waiting for 'is parents." Bill nodded, and quickly walked off. Fleur turned back to the boy.

"What is your name, mon cher?" she asked him softly.

"Ali."

"Well, Ali, I am Fleur, and ze man wis ze red 'air is Bill. 'E 'as gone to get you some lunch, and we'll stay wis you until your parents come back, all right?" Fleur said softly, rocking the young boy slowly in her arms. The boy's head, still burrowed in the crook of her neck, bobbed up and down, and his sobs softened slightly. Fleur's eyes had a faraway look in them, as she remembered something similar...

~Flashback~

Fifteen-year-old Fleur awoke to the soft sound of crying coming from the next room. Lighting a candle, she walked out of her bedroom and softly walked into Gabrielle's.

"Gabrielle, qu'est-ce qui est passé?" she asked softly, sitting at the foot of the bed. Her little sister, sensing the presence of someone else in the room, threw herself into her older sister's arms, sobbing and muttering incoherently about a nightmare. Gradually, her little sister would calm down somewhat, and whisper into Fleur's hair.

"Fleur, peux-tu chanter un chanson pour moi?" And Fleur would always sing 'Sur le Pont d'Avignon' for Gabrielle, and her younger sister would then be able to sleep peacefully.

~End Flashback~

Ten minutes later, when Bill returned with a third piece of bread and drumstick, he saw Fleur still in the exact same place and position as before, arms around the boy, eyes closed, softly singing a lilting little song in French. The boy had stopped crying, and was now looking at Fleur adoringly with his impossibly big, velvety brown eyes, little arms still around her neck.

A minute later, Fleur noticed his return, and abruptly stopped singing, her cheeks blushing slightly. But she quickly recovered, and pulled away from the boy to tell him that Bill had returned with some lunch for him. The boy, hearing the word "lunch", disengaged himself from Fleur, and hurried over to Bill, grinning ear to ear. Bill handed the food to the boy, who grabbed it and promptly started devouring it.

"Well, I guess he was hungry." Bill remarked to Fleur, watching Ali make short work of the bread and chicken. She nodded, and cocked her head at Bill.

"I know zat we 'ave quite a long way to go still, but... eet would not be good to leave ze boy 'ere all by 'imself... 'e is too young. We will 'ave to wait 'ere wis 'im until 'is parents return. I just 'ope zat zey will come back soon, wherever zey are right now." she said softly.

Bill nodded soberly. He had hoped to be able to reach the next town by nightfall, but he knew that Fleur had a point. Now that they had helped Ali, it would be cruel to abandon the boy.

"We might as well pick up some supplies while we're 'ere." Fleur continued. She turned back to Ali, who had finished his lunch by then, and took the boy by the hand.

"We are going to buy some sings; you can come wis us, and stay wis us until your parents come back. Would zat be all right?" Ali nodded enthusiastically, and attached himself at once to her hand. Bill grinned.

"Looks like you have another adoring male at your side."

"Oh, be quiet, you." Fleur laughed, and led Ali towards the bazaar stalls.

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