The castle was alive with a strange mixture of exhaustion and excitement. The final examinations were behind them, and in just a few short hours, students would board the Abraxan-drawn carriages and leave the grounds for the summer.
Everywhere Eira turned, she saw trunks stacked in hallways, last-minute goodbyes exchanged in rapid French, and laughter bubbling from younger students who could finally breathe again after weeks of revision. Even the air felt lighter, touched with the scent of blooming lavender drifting in through open windows.
But while the others busied themselves with farewells and packing charms, Eira had a different priority.
She slipped her hand into Fleur's, tugging insistently as they wove their way through the crowd. Fleur frowned, half-protesting, but allowed herself to be pulled along.
"Eira, où vas-tu?" she asked, stumbling slightly as they turned down a gravel path that led toward the far edge of the grounds. "Where are you taking me? Everyone else is finishing their packing, and you—"
"You'll see." Eira's voice was teasing, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.
Fleur huffed but followed. Her long silver-blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, and though her tone was impatient, there was a fondness in the way her fingers remained tightly laced with Eira's.
After a long walk the path narrowed, curving into a grove of enchanted willows. Here, the noise of the school faded until only the crunch of their steps and the rustle of leaves remained. Then, suddenly, the trees parted, and the valley opened before them.
Val Enchanté.
It was a place touched by magic older than the school itself—a wide hollow where a waterfall tumbled in endless silver sheets into a crystalline pool, its mist catching the light and scattering it into soft rainbows. Wildflowers carpeted the grass, glowing faintly with enchantments, and the air itself seemed alive with sounds of old spells.
Fleur's breath caught. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight never failed to steal it away. "Eira…" she murmured. "Why did you brought me here?"
Eira sat down at the water's edge, tugging Fleur gently beside her. Her gaze lingered on the cascade, but her voice was soft, almost reverent. "I wanted to visit one last time. This valley… it's where everything changed for me. Where we confessed how we felt. Where our love began. It's sacred to me. No matter where I go, I'll carry this place with me, because it gave me you."
For a moment Fleur simply stared, overwhelmed. Eira's words settled deep into her chest, warm and steady, and her heart fluttered in response. Her lips parted to whisper something—something tender, something to mirror the emotion in Eira's eyes—
But then a strange phrase cut through her haze. One last time.
Fleur stiffened. "Wait," she said sharply, turning to Eira with sudden intensity. "What do you mean, 'one last time'?"
Eira hesitated only a moment before answering. "Because I won't be coming back. Next year, I'll be transferring to Hogwarts."
The words dropped like stones into the silence.
Fleur's world tilted. She stared at her, lips parting in disbelief. "No. You—" Her voice faltered before rising again, edged with panic. "You can't. Next year is my final year here. Can't you wait? Just one more year? Then after I graduated you can transfer to wherever you want and I will follow you, can't you?"
"I can't," Eira said quietly.
Fleur's breath hitched, her emotions twisting too fast to name. "Why?" she burst out, her voice raw. "Don't you see? Without you, this school will be unbearable. Empty. I won't be able to breathe if you aren't here!"
The waterfall roared behind them, but to Fleur it seemed distant, muffled under the weight of her own pulse pounding in her ears. Eira's calm expression only deepened her turmoil.
"I'm sorry," Eira said at last, her face unreadable.
Fleur's composure shattered. Her chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, and she turned away, blinking rapidly as her throat burned. "Fine then," she snapped, her words breaking though her voice trembled. "Go! Do whatever you want. I don't need you here."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Fleur's back was rigid, her eyes fixed on the rippling water even as her vision blurred. She hated how fragile her voice had sounded, how exposed. She hated that she had begged.
Then—laughter.
At first soft, then growing louder, spilling into the valley in bright peals. Fleur blinked, startled, before turning back toward Eira in disbelief. Her girlfriend was clutching her stomach, shoulders shaking as she laughed openly.
Fleur's cheeks flamed with indignation. "What," she hissed, "is so funny?"
Eira could barely contain herself. "You. You were so adorably furious and upset—it melted my heart!" She wiped at her eyes, still grinning.
Fleur's glare could have ignited the flowers at their feet. "Were you serious about what you said? About transferring?"
"Yes," Eira admitted without hesitation.
Fleur's heart twisted again, frustration tightening in her chest. "Then why are you laughing?"
"Alright, alright." Eira lifted her hands in mock surrender, still fighting a smile. "I'll stop. It's just… it seems Madame Maxime didn't tell you yet."
Confusion flickered across Fleur's face. "Tell me what?"
Eira smirked, her voice laced with mischief. "That you'll be going to Hogwarts too."
Fleur blinked. "What? I never agreed to transferring to that school!"
"Who said anything about transferring?" Eira countered slyly.
"Then how am I supposed to go?" Fleur demanded, exasperation clear in her tone.
Eira leaned closer, her voice low and triumphant. "Because Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament next school year. Beauxbâtons will send students—and Madame Maxime promised me that you'll be one of them."
For a moment Fleur could only stare, her mouth slightly open. She searched Eira's face, waiting for some sign of jest, but found only certainty. Slowly, the truth sank in.
Her emotions surged, a tangled mess of relief, disbelief, and indignation. She clenched her fists, cheeks flushing pink. Then, finally, she erupted.
"You—!" Her shout rang across the valley, startling a flock of enchanted doves into flight. "Eira, you absolute idiot!"
She swatted at Eira's body, French curses spilling from her lips as her face burned with equal parts fury and embarrassment.