The tenth of January marked the first day back after the Christmas holidays, and Beauxbâtons was alive with renewed energy. In the grand Star Hall, laughter echoed off the enchanted ceiling as students crowded their house tables, exchanging stories of snowy adventures, family gatherings, and mischief pulled over the break.
At the Ombrelune table, Eira sat beside Fleur Delacour. The warmth of the hall seemed to carry into their conversation, which drifted from schoolwork to matters more personal.
"So," Fleur began, tilting her head slightly, her silvery hair catching the enchanted starlight above. "I heard your aunt is now living with you after resigning from her position, right ? Is that true?"
Eira's lips curved into a soft smile. "Yes. She needed an excuse to resign from the Ministry, so now she's free of all that pressure. Honestly, she's happier than I've ever seen her. These days she spends most of her time with Emma, helping her manage the White family affairs."
Fleur leaned closer, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "I have noticed them together often. Very close. It almost seems…" she paused, a playful smile tugging at her mouth, "…as though they have feelings for each other, right ?"
Eira chuckled quietly. "They do. Anyone could see it. The way they look at each other, the way they talk—it's like they're already in love, though neither has said it out loud. The air between them is thick with it. Romantic tension."
"And you are… fine with that?" Fleur asked, her tone casual, though her gaze sharpened with interest. "Two women together—it doesn't strike you as unusual? Especially since one of them is your aunt, and the other your assistant?"
"Oh no," Eira replied at once, her voice warm and unbothered. "I think it's wonderful. Honestly, I'm relieved. I'd be uncomfortable if they were with men. Just imagining them bringing boyfriends home—Merlin, the thought makes me shudder."
Fleur's brows lifted in amusement. "Eira, you don't hate men, do you? That could become toxic if taken too far."
Eira shook her head gently. "No, I don't hate them. But I haven't had good experiences with men—except for my grandfather. Most I've met either tried to use me for my family name or wanted me gone. It's hard to trust after that."
Her words hung in the air for a moment, soft but firm. Fleur studied her carefully, then arched a brow. "And what about Marin? He is a boy—soon to be a man. Yet you are close with him. Why make an exception?"
Eira hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Marin is… different."
Fleur gave a small laugh, almost incredulous. "Different? He flirts with every girl in sight. He has a new one on his arm each week. If anything, he is the very type you claim to avoid. Yet you defend him. How curious."
"At first, I didn't want to befriend him," Eira admitted. "But then I thought—why not? If I want to understand men , and before making outright assumptions or judgment , I need to experience friendship with them firsthand. Through Marin, I hoped to see them for what they are, not just what I feared or experienced till now. And despite his flaws, he has a good heart. Innocent, in his own way. He is a true friend to me."
Fleur tilted her head, still unconvinced. "So you did befriend him merely for 'experience' then?"
"No," Eira said softly. "I wanted a friend. And I still consider him one. Just… don't paint me as some man-hating girl, Fleur. I only speak from what I've known. My grandfather was the only man who ever treated me with love, and even he left me too soon for me to know more about him or men. Marin is all I have now. That's why I said I'd be uneasy if Emma or Aunt Isabella brought strange men into the family. It would… unsettle me."
Silence lingered between them for a heartbeat. Then Fleur reached out, her hand warm against Eira's cheek. Her voice softened. "I don't think you hate men. I was only worried… that if such thoughts ever grew too strong, they might hurt you. That is all."
Eira's eyes gentled. "If I ever wander down that path, I know you'll be there to correct me. Won't you?"
Fleur's lips curved into a promise. "Always."
Their gazes locked. For Eira, the moment felt strange, unfamiliar—a warmth she couldn't name. For Fleur, it burned deeper and sharper. Obsession cloaked her thoughts like a shadow.
A sweet smile blossomed on Fleur's face. "I'm glad, then, that you don't oppose such love—between two women. It means much to me."
Eira smiled back, her voice sincere. "Of course I don't. Love is love. Who am I to oppose it?"
Fleur's thoughts quickened, her heart racing. 'Good. Then it's good. She doesn't despise it. She doesn't fear it.` The realization lit a fire in her chest, wild and possessive.
Her eyes lingered on Eira with a hunger she carefully masked behind her smile. 'Now that I know, I can't wait much longer. Soon, I'll tell her. Soon, she'll be mine. Forever.`
And as she sat there beside Eira in the Star Hall, Fleur's gaze burned with an obsession no one else could see.
Now, after Fleur's last whispered promise—a statement—silence had fallen between them, soft but heavy. Fleur's hand lingered on Eira's cheek, thumb brushing ever so slightly against her pale skin. The touch was warm, lingering longer than propriety would have allowed, but Eira didn't pull away. She only tilted her head, puzzled, as though uncertain what to make of this sudden tenderness.
Eira's smile was gentle and unbothered. Fleur's gaze, however, was anything but. She was looking at her as if she could drink her whole soul through her eyes.
A sharp voice from the Papillonlisse table cut across the tension.
"Fleur! Are you going to keep staring at her all night?"
It was a blonde girl from Fleur's year, tossing her hair with practiced disdain. Her words were playful, but her smirk made it clear she'd noticed Fleur's focus.
Fleur didn't even glance away from Eira as she answered. "Better than wasting my eyes on things that don't shine."
A chorus of "ooohs" rose from Papillonlisse, but Fleur ignored them entirely. Her hand withdrew at last, slow as a spell unweaving, and she turned back to her plate with an air of composure.
Eira blinked, cheeks faintly flushed. She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, only that Fleur's presence had once again wrapped around her like sunlight and fire both.