1995-09-16: Lost In Translation

Participants:

Fleur_icon.gif Bill_icon.gif Charlie_icon.gif

Scene Title Lost In Translation
Synopsis Bill takes Fleur home so she can use one of the family owls. Fleur gets to meet Charlie. Hilarity ensues. Drink/food warning.
Location Gringotts, and then the Burrow
Date September 16, 1995
Watch For Charlie
Logger !Prince William

"Don't worry Griphook, that bracelet is safe for handling now. Just don't put it on. The curse on it's too strong to be removed completely. Leave it in the box I put it in, and I'll see what else I can do with it in the morning," Bill calls over to a surly looking goblin as he pulls off his protective gloves and robes. Getting ready to leave for the day, he puts them aside at his assigned desk and plucks up his cloak.

The school year's been out for some time, and now Fleur's taken a full time internship with the bank. Working on the weekends previously helped secure the internship, and for that she was thankful. But now, this simple 'study abroad' fancy of hers has a more legitimate reason. She's passing by Bill's desk (office, whatever lol), focused on applying her bonnet to her head before she hits the doors. Her walk is brisk, with purpose, and she's muttering to herself in French. Distracted as she is, she does not see Bill. But it's not like she's going unnoticed with her mumbled French, and heels hitting the polished marble loudly.

It's unlikely that Fleur could pass through anywhere without being noticed. Muttering French or not. Throwing his cloak over his arm, Bill dashes after to catch up with the intern. "Fleur?" he calls out as he works on matching strides with her, which is not difficult at all for the man. "Is something else wrong?" After all, who doesn't know about Beauxbatons going boom?

There's a bit of a squeak when Bill speaks, mainly because she was startled. She stops and turns to look at him, flashing a genuine but small smile. "Ah, salut Bill." She fiddles with a hatpin. Something else wrong? "Oh, hn, I am thinking that the post is not open anymore? I am late?" She glances around him to try to find a time piece because she honestly didn't think to keep one on her.

"Could be closed up by now, but if you need to send something, it's no problem to use one of my family's owls." Wait. Errol isn't the young thing he used to be, back in Bill's carefree boyish days. "How far are you needing to send post?" Better to ask up front. Maybe Hermes can be sneaked when Percy's back is turned. "I'll walk with you to see if they're still open."

A look flashes on that pretty face of hers, looking genuinely put out that the post office might be closed. There's a blink and she says, "Hogwarts. Ze school. I am wanting to be sending things to a few friends of ze family who are relocated." She worries a bit at the inside of her cheek before continuing, "There are many displacements, it is good to make sure they are settled and such." Hell, even a few of her friends from younger years are now staying at Hogwarts. It's…weird.

"Ah, how are they adjusting? I know it can't be easy on the Beauxbatons students," Bill states as he walks alongside Fleur. "I'll walk with you to the post office. If they're closed, we can just apparate to my place and we'll get it sent. One way or the other. I do have to admit, I kind of envy my brothers in a way. I think it would be nice to be attending school with all of the foreign students there. I just wish that it had come about for different reasons."

"Merci," she says to the offer of being walked to the post office. She has several letters already written, she just needs to get them sent. "I've not purchased an owl for myself yet. I am waiting to see something that is pretty," because most of these generic owls are so… /generic/. She probably should if she plans to hang around this generic little country for an extended amount of time. Fleur's pale brows arch downward for a moment, "Ehn." Sure must be /real/ exciting, but she's careful not to take it out on Bill, who's been nothing but nice. "I am wishing there has been more information about it. I…" She frowns. "I do not think I am able to use the proper words to describe it." How it bothers her that is.

Bill offers his free arm to Fleur as they walk. "Owls are pretty, you just haven't found the right one for you, yet." He looks down as Fleur has difficulty in expressing herself in English. "Take your time, don't worry. You don't even need to put it in words. I think I get how you feel. Even with my dad working in the Ministry and a lot of our contacts, we don't have a lot of information on what happened. Even if we did, we'd still ask the question 'why?'." He leads the way to the post office, and unfortunately, it is locked up.

She finally finds a good way to expression things, "Who attacks a /school/?" This is said as she takes the offered arm. It just seems…well, it seems like something a bunch of bullies would do, which is probably the point of it all. But still. She makes a face when Bill expresses not having any additional information for her. "Merde," is grumbled when it's obvious the post is locked. "I will attempt to go before work tomorrow," she states, though she hopes it opens up before she has to be into work. Goblins don't exactly tolerate tardiness.

Bill pats Fleur's arm with his other hand, "Some really dark wizards who don't care. I'm glad it happened over the summer. It really could have been worse. I remember a little of what happened when I was a kid. Back when Voldemort was causing trouble. They didn't do any grand attacks like that. Maybe they're bolder now." He can't help it, despite the tone of the conversation, he laughs as Fleur swears in French. A witch who speaks her mind, Weasley men appreciate that. "You don't have to wait. If you come with me, I'll take you to my place. We can use one of our owls."

"I would be most cro—" she pauses and then regards him for a moment. "You were in school at that time?" He didn't seem /that/ old! But Fleur just makes a face at the laughter, which sort of derails her thinking here and there. After a moment, she does return it with a faint smile, though she has no clue why he's laughing! "Oh? That would be good. They are just letters, requests to let me know if there are things they would be wanting to be sent." Unless it's too exotic and then they might as well just send the request home to France for that case.

"No, I actually started my first year in 1982. But with dad working at the Ministry, I got to hear a lot of what was going on. Mum tried to keep it from us, but her voice tends to carry." Which is Bill's way of saying his mother can get uhm, loud. "There are just some things you can't shield kids from, even if you want to. Mum had her hands full with me, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron had just been born. So you can imagine how scared she was for all of us." Bill doesn't mention his uncles, who he scarcely got to know. "It's okay. I know it means a lot to you, and your friends will like hearing from you." Almost on impulse, /almost/, he leans in to give Fleur a kiss across the cheek. She seemed to need the gesture of affection, or at least, it couldn't hurt. Much.

She would /never/ get used to those list of names and the sheer amount of them there are. There's ten years almost between her and Gabrielle, she can't even fathom having so many children. Think of what that would do to someone's body! That poor woman. "It must have been frightening," Fleur agrees. The peck to the cheek lands mainly because well, one, such a thing isn't exactly /uncommon/ where she comes from and two, well, she's stunned because it /is/ uncommon around here! She blushes slightly, and smiles. "You have been very kind. I am thankful. Merci."

"Don't worry about it. We're all on the same side and have to help each other out." That's the way Bill looks at it anyway. As for the number of children in his family? Yeah, that takes getting used to. Yet it also makes them pretty darn famous around school. "It was, and still is seeing things happening again. You ready to Apparate? Just hang on tight and we'll get those letters sent out."

This she smiles broadly to, a dazzling thing. She's been good at not turning on the charms around these easily influenced Englishmen, but, well, she's at ease here so, yeah. "Bon," is offered more enthusiastically than she has done in the conversation so far. She steps a little closer to make it easier to manage her weight, and makes sure the arms are secured. There's more mumbled French, but no swears. Just basically 'I hate this'.

Bill grins down at Fleur and makes sure his grip on her is secure before Disapparating from Diagon Alley. With that squeezing and POP sensation, the pair Apparate outside the Burrow. He knows flat out that Fleur will probably turn up her nose at the house, and he makes no apologies for his house. "This is home," and there's a distinct note of pride in his voice. "I'll see if Errol's up for delivering the letters for you." If not, he'll pester Percy and pull the big brother card. (More like, Perce, you'd do this in the name of International Magical Cooperation, won't you?)

Like she stated, she hates Apparating. Sidelong apparation more. But she's arrived in one piece, and outside and… As predicted, her nose gets turned up. She manages to /not/ say anything, but that's probably because her expression says it all. That little wrinkle to her nose, the way her full lips twist to the side and her eyebrows have slanted in a puzzled sort of look. And when Bill comments that it's home, the expression easily turns to one that says 'I'm sorry.'. It's that noted tone of pride that's keeping Fleur's mouth firmly shut. For now. "Ah, bon." Thank you for distracting her from the dumpy looking place. She'll allow herself to be steered or whatever, while she digs in her handbag for the letters she had written when she had some free time at the bank.

Bill simply grins down at Fleur's expression. "Don't be like that," he says with a faint wink. He's taking absolutely no offense. He knows she's a completely different breed and background. Still arm and arm, he leads Fleur into the house. "Mum? Dad? Charlie?," he calls out as he escorts the French witch in. "Mum's usually about, dad may still be at work, same with Charlie."

Inside, it is an entirely different tale. Well…somewhat. Sure there are a few things out of place, but Mum keeps a tidy house. Sitting alone in the sitting room, would be the second eldest in the Weasley clan. A copy of the Prophet in his hands, as on the nearby coffee table, his sandwich lies half eaten. He did drink all of his milk though-No big, burly, men who study dragons don't always go for a pint after a long day of work. One finger moves to rub at his nose before he is rising up from the chair, socked feet hitting the floor, as he snatches up his glass before stalking into the kitchen.
Charlie Weasley does not have a clue that guests are arriving, until the door opens. A tilt of his head and he is looking off to where the call came from. "Bill!" See he knows his brother's voice anywhere. Cue him trumping to go meet. Milk can be had later.

She wracks her brain when an actual name is given. "Is he not the one with the dragons?" You know, sometimes when you're talking to a cute guy most of the details go in one ear and out the other. Bill should be thankful that she hasn't attached 'Dragons' to the twins. or worse, Ron. And she's not letting go of that arm because, now that she's seeing the /inside/? She's afraid something might jump out and bite her, what with all the cramped and stacked and other such nonsense (others would call it 'cozy' and 'comforting', really), and There it is! A shout and something's surely grabbing at her ankles and eee—oh, it's just another redhead. No she did /not/ just duck behind Bill and start inspecting the hem of her skirt for weird things that might've started chomping at her feet. Nope. Not at all.

"Charlie! So someone else is at home," Bill says, greeting his brother with a wide grin. "Fleur, this is my brother Charlie, Charlie, this is Fleur Delacour. She's interning at Gringotts, and yup, he's the one with the dragons. See, you can learn to keep us all straight." He refrains from laughing (on the outside) at Fleur ducking behind him. "Come on, have a seat and I'll go get Errol. Get your letters out, and I'll send a note to Hogwarts as well. I want to know when the next Hogsmeade weekend is, and I can take you. You can at least visit with your friends then."

Charlie blinks back. Maybe it is not Bill as much as it is the blonde girl attached to his arm. Eyes flash from his brother to Fleur, then back to his brother again-and of course end up on Fleur. "Bill, you're with a girl?" Self consciously he is smoothing his unruly hair back before he is moving to grab a glass or something. "Uh-err. Can I get you two something to drink?" No he's not Mum, but he is trying to do something besides awkwardly stare. he'll have to pull Bill aside later to do the whole HOW DID YOU DO THAT, talk.

Still he is now rummaging and knocking things around in search of glasses, as if he's forgotten where they are kept. "Uh.. Nice t' meetchya Fleur. I'm Charl-yeah." and so Bill's done the intros. "Yeah. Dragons…"

AT least awkward stares she's used to. She's back at Bill's side now, giving a slight frown as Charlie /states the obvious/. That being 'with a girl'. For she is not anything else! "Not very …" she throws her fingers to her head to indicate 'bright', this is of course directed at /Bill/, not Charlie because she has no qualms insulting people as if they aren't in the room when they obviously /are/. It gives Charlie some time to get his hair in place or whatever it is he's doing. Which apparently involves making a lot of noise. She opens her mouth, as if to ask for something, then remembers the state of the outside, the inside, the fact there's a bazillion weasels running around so instead she asks of charlie, "What do you have for drinking?" Best not to ask for, say, expensive wine, if expensive wine isn't in the place to begin with. The comment about being nice to meet and what not, despite her disapproval of Charlie's lack of wits does elicit a smile, and a simple, "Bon."

Bill blinks and gives Charlie a funny look. "Yeah, and? She needed to use an owl and the post office is closed." If Fleur weren't attached to him still, he'd give Charlie a good noogie or two as well as a ribbing about how he never had issues with girls. Unlike a younger brother who never noticed a cute witch who is now an Auror before, but that's for another time. "Don't mind Charlie, he's being a bit on the slow side at the moment. He actually made Prefect at Hogwarts, makes you wonder about the standards, doesn't it?" Okay, so he does get in a good ribbing at his brother's expense. "We've got juice, tea, water, milk, firewhiskey," he offers as he moves towards the table and pulls out a chair for Fleur, if she's not afraid to soil her robes by having a seat.

Oh his time will come, if some witch is able to pull him away from dragons long enough. However that day might come when pigs can fly without charming, or sewing wings on them. A cough, and glasses are finally plucked free ad set down on the counter. "Well, we got uh..purple stuff, milk, pumpkin juice…Wine?" French girls drink wine right? And maybe there's still that bottle that Moody brought over last time for dinner. And he's turning to move over towards the cupboard to go and search again. Though from the frown given towards Bill- he did at least make sense of the slow line. "Remind me, Bill. Do you still take those nice bubblebaths? Mum was curious to make sure your skin was being taken care of. It's sensitive." See ribbing can go…two ways! "I'm really not slow, just stunned." And there is the younger brother's voice, as Charlie does talk to Fleur. Yes. Actually, talks. "So you go to Hogwarts?" How did Bill find you?

"Ze juice'd be fine, merci," She decides. It'd be easier to hunt down than her usual fair. Fleur glances down at the chair before she sits down to see if she needs to dust it off. But as crowded and cramped as she finds the house it /is/ clean. She approves of the state of the chair's seat and settles herself on it. She reaches up to remove her hatpins and removes her bonnet, setting it aside. "Oh you should keep with ze oatmeal and not so much parfume baths if your skin is that bad," Sorry Charlie. Where she comes from, Men take bubblebaths. So she doesn't think this odd or embarrassing at all. As for Charlie's question? Does she /sound/ like she went to Hogwarts? "I am graduated of Beauxbatons. Last year. I am working at ze bank to improve my English. It was much worse previously." She gestures Bill, "He helps me much during our working ours if he is at ze bank as well."

"Once a week, I make every effort to make sure everyone knows I'm the good looking brother," Bill says, breezing along with the banter. "There's just so many of us, I have to make sure I stand out." He then sneaks a look at Charlie, see what you did? Look what you started. "I'll keep that in mind," he says to Fleur. Yeah, he's not touching that. He doesn't sit just yet, instead he moves over to the perch where Errol is flopped over. "C'mon you, got a special delivery to Hogwarts." He picks up the owl carefully and sets him on the table. "Hand over your letters, I'll go ahead and tie them to his leg for you."

"Odd, Mum said you were always the unfortunate brother." Or maybe that was Ron, but still Charlie is grinning back to his brother. A shrug is passed when Bill looks at him, and then he is heading from cupboard to the icebox to get the pumpkin juice. His own glass brought over, along with the other two, Charlie is quick to plunk and pour. No, he's not washing out the milk from his previous drink. A clean fresh glass is passed to Fleur before he is nodding. Already that grin there broadens as he looks over to Bill. "So William here is teaching you the way of the tongue eh?" Yes, he is teasing his brother right in front of you. Be lucky it's him and not the twins. "So besides working on your English, what else do you do at the bank?" See he is asking the questions before mum does.

Charlie's glass gets a disgusted look, but she's thankful hers is clean. She hopes. She takes a sip once it's passed to her (a quiet 'merci' is given), and then she's digging in her handbag again. She pauses just as she's handing flowery-envelopes that have a faint smell to them over to Bill and just stares at Charlie. "I… I am translating that wrong, yes?" The wheels in her head are just on drag, and if she's not careful, there might be steam coming out of her ears. 'the way of the…' You can almost see the desire to actually try to stick out her tongue and stare at it as if the answer was there. It keeps her from answering Charlie's more serious question.

"Ha-ha!" Bill says as he hunts down a quill and spare bit of parchment for himself. A quick note to Fred is scribbled out, inquiring about Hogsmeade dates. "…" And he was about to say something else, and screech, there goes the quill across the parchment. Bloody Hell. The parchment is crumbled up and tossed into the fire and he starts again on the quick note. "Yes, I've been giving her private lessons in English." See what he did there? Smoothed that over, but not really. "No, you translated it right. Charlie just doesn't speak very well." As he attaches the letters to poor Errol, he explains for Fleur, "Hogsmeade is the village near the school. Older students get to visit on weekends, and I could take you up there to visit with your friends if you would like that."

And still the cheeky grin remains on Charlie's face. A glance over to Bill as he reaches for his juice to take a good long sip. Eyes looking over to Fleur as the face is made-and is as if he can hear the mouse hitting the wheel on each spin. At least while she is trying to deal with the whole syntax, and structure of language. "She's a very apt pupil, you got there Bill." said into the rim of his cup, before swallowing. A lick of his lips. "Is the training, very hands on?" A snicker almost escapes. Oh he is loving this-however he knows, should he ever bring a witch back here. It will probably have the same reaction..Maybe harsher.

"Oh, bon…bon…" She says at the Hogsmeade thing. She would love to be able to visit classmates from last year that didn't graduate with her. Not to mention actually see the children of those family friends and assure them that they were seen, personally and that they were alright. But there goes Charlie again. She frowns, trying to mentally digest /that/ comment. She knows there's word play going on but her grasp of English is still too literal. But immersion does help and 'hands on' isn't as hard to pick out as 'way of the tongue'. There's a blink, then eyes widen and there's just this /string/ of French, said very firmly, loudly and harshly and the you know what? That last couple of words sounded like a —
It was an incantation because her wand's out and if the spell isn't deflected, Charlie's hair is now the Floofiest shade of pink or lavender or whatever possible — and it /smells/ floofy too.

Bill fixes Charlie with an expression that reads there will be payback later. Oh yes, there will be. When company has gone. So Bill won't deny an attraction towards Fleur, but nothing has happened! Focusing on Errol, he gets the letters tied on, and the owl is set off out the window to deliver them. "There we are, are you ready to g.. I think we're ready to go. Later Charlie!" With that, he's gripping a firm hold on Fleur's arm, and with a POP, the pair Disapparate.
There will be payback upon Bill's return. Oh yes.

There's laughter as he catches Bill's look. "Right mate, I'll be here, reading." Because when has Charlie ever gone out on a saturday night-or any night with some pretty girl attached to his arm. However before he can say much else to Fleur, there is a rather audible POOMPH before he is looking up. and sneezing. SNEEZING. "Oh bugger.." Well now he'll have to get to work on that hair-can't be seen as cotton candy when around Dragons.


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