Archive of Our Own ^beta

Angelina had just had a very long day. She had a very early Portkey to London for the New Year’s Eve Quidditch match, then the match itself this afternoon. While the game wasn’t as long as it could have been, 4 hours was still quite a long time to be on the pitch. Somehow she’d managed to have a suitably cleansing shower to get herself looking and smelling acceptable before apparating to Grimmauld Place for Harry’s annual New Year’s Eve party. Unfortunately she wouldn’t be able to make it for very long, but any amount of time seeing her friends is better than nothing!

She knocked at the door of 12 Grimmauld Place, which was surrounded by suspended lights and small everlasting fireworks.

Hermione opened the door and greeted Angelina with a hug.

“Hi, it’s been so long! How are you?” she exclaimed.

Angelina laughed at Hermione’s energetic enthusiasm.

“It has been, yes I’m alright! Been up a long time today and I won’t be able to stay that long unfortunately, but I'm very glad to make it at all this year!”

“It’s been a few years since you’ve been able to make one of our holiday parties, innit?” Ron remarked as he came to welcome the new guest.

“So you all still host together?” Angelina asked. She remembered the last time she came, the trio hosted but everyone was expecting Ron and Hermione to move out of Grimmauld Place any year.

“Yeah,” Hermione replied, “we’ve only gotten better at hosting every year! At least I hope so; people seem to like the gatherings anyway.”

“Of course we’ve gotten better, love!,” Ron exclaimed, “the three of us have been living here for long enough that the house really cooperates with us, and everyone brings better and better food. Anyway, Harry’s been excited to see you, we’ll take you to him!”

Ron and Hermione led Angelina past a few rooms of various people chatting to a spacious living room and to Harry. He was talking to Fleur and Katie.

Hermione came up behind Harry and put her hand on his waist, saying softly “Angelina’s here.”

Harry turned around and exclaimed, “Angelina!” and gave her a big hug. Angelina hugged him tightly. She didn’t realise just how much she’d missed all these people.

“I caught your game last week, you played really well!” Harry said, “You really won the game for them - not only did you score that incredible shot from halfway down the pitch! But you also made some absolutely incredible passes! Sorry I couldn’t catch you afterwards, but-”

“I’m so glad you made it!” Angelina said warmly, “that was definitely the best game I’ve personally played all year, but we’ve been playing really well for a few months.”

“Did you also play in the English A team against France A this year?” Fleur asked, “I thought I saw you there, and you played very well there too.”

“Oh, yes I did,” Angelina blushed, “I didn’t know you were there! It was a bit of a last minute addition as practice for some of the backup squad.”

“Look at our Angelina, coming all the way from our scrappy Gryffindor team and now playing for England,” Katie said fondly.

“Not for England proper, just the backup team they use for practice matches,” Angelina interjected.

“Close enough, soon you’ll be playing for ‘England proper’,” Harry said, “but now you’ve got some time to relax, right?”

“Not quite,” Angelina sighed, “I’m not able to stay for very long tonight. I promised my brother I’d spend New Year’s with him and his friends in Berlin. He’s been bugging me about visiting him and taking me all around Berlin for the past couple of years. And I’m sure I’ll get roped into helping out around the house sometime while I’m there. But yeah I’ve got to leave at 8.30 to get a Portkey there.”

“That’s too bad you won’t be around until midnight. There’s a fantastic midnight show they put on - absolutely fantastic lights!” Katie said.

“All thanks to Hermione,” Ron said, putting an arm around her.

“And you’ve got something special for the light show and countdown planned this year right?” Harry asked slyly.

Hermione blushed.

“It’s just a few modifications from last year, but it is pretty different from a few years ago. Maybe you’ll make it next year?”

Angelina nodded.

“Of course, it sounds like it’ll be incredible! I’m disappointed to miss it. Not that I would’ve stayed awake that late anyway - I was up at about 5am this morning to catch a Portkey for the match today.”

“They make you catch Portkeys that early?! The game wasn’t until this afternoon!” Katie exclaimed.

“Unfortunately they do - they like us to be ‘up with the sun’ or some nonsense like-”

Angelina was cut off by the sound of knocking coming from Hermione’s pocket.

“Oh who’s just come? We’re still waiting on a few people…” Hermione wondered.

“That really is a great use of Protean, great modification,” Harry remarked, “I think about how handy it is every time. Anyway, I’ll go get this person, you relax. You deserve it.” Harry gave Hermione a quick peck before heading towards the front door.

“He just wants to hug them before us,” Ron said fondly, “but we should probably check on the rolls - we put them in quite a bit ago.”

“But we need to make sure they’re cooked properly before we send them around, and I like a bit of browning on them.”

“Browning yes, but not blackening.”

Hermione and Ron left discussing exactly how cooked the rolls should be.

Fleur rolled her eyes fondly.

“An hour ago, they were ‘discussing’ how much cheese should be in the salad bowls. Here,” Fleur said, pulling a salad bowl from the suspended tray nearby and passing it to Angelina. She took it and looked in the bowl.

“I haven’t had cheese in salads before,” Angelina remarked before eating a spoonful, “oh but it’s quite nice. Adds some tang.”

“I agree, what they agreed on is good. But they spent so long talking about it! It was a mistake being near the kitchen and offering to help.” Fleur said.

“I wonder if Harry has such strong cooking opinions?” Katie asked.

“Probably not,” Angelina replied, “Harry’s never enjoyed cooking.”

“That is a good point, Harry sometimes offers to help but he never wants to be there. And he never directs anyone else cooking.”

“It’s good Hermione and Ron take care of it all then,” Katie remarked, “I’m glad they’ve all found each other - they all balance each other out really well.”

“And they always bring everyone together,” Fleur added, “they all take good care of the rest of us and make sure we’re safe. Harry insisted I stay the night because he doesn’t want anyone to risk apparating after drinking at all.”

Katie laughed.

“He also has a goal of filling up every possible bed space one year. I don’t think it’ll be this year, but one year he wants to use every space in this ginormous house.”

Angelina smiled and brushed a bit of fluff out of her eye.

“I’m glad he’s found such a good use for the house, and they’re all happy together,” she mused. Katie and Fleur nodded in agreement.

The smell of rolls wafted through the door, followed by Ron and Hermione carrying them, then Harry and Luna following with some bottles of wine.

“I hope they are sufficiently brown,” Angelina murmured. Katie was too busy looking at Luna to hear, but Fleur giggled. Angelina’s heart did a little somersault.

“But they cannot be too brown,” Fleur replied sagely before giggling again, which Angelina joined in on.

“Hi!” They were interrupted by Luna’s lovely voice and the chinking of wine glasses. “Would you like some wine? There’s red, white, and pink.”

“Pink wine?” Katie asked.

“Yes, I’m not sure entirely how it’s made, but it’s quite sweet. I like to think it’s half red half white, but really I think it’s mostly sugar.”

“Oooh, I think I’ll try the pink then!” Katie enthused. Luna conjured three glasses, and poured the pink Moscato into one, and handed it to Katie. When Katie took it, their fingers touched for just a moment longer than they needed to, and Katie blushed.

“And what about for you?” Luna asked Fleur and Angelina after a moment.

“Red, please,” they said together, before looking at each other in surprise. Luna poured them their glasses while Fleur asked,

“Is there any reason you start with red?”

“Honestly, it’s just the first drink I had and now I’m attached. It was at my parents house over the summer when I was 16, and I was wandering around and found the wine. My brother happened to be home too, and suggested we drink it. I actually didn’t like the taste the first time, but we came back to it a couple of days later and I liked it a lot more.”

“You left uncorked wine in the open for a couple of days?!”

“Of course not! My brother was of age and could suspend it. But since then I usually go for red as I’ve come to prefer it first. Sometimes I’ll drink something else later if I want to, but I always start with the red.”

“Are you all going ok?” Ron asked the four of them standing together. “Would anyone like some rolls?”

And so the night continued. Food was always nearby if anyone wanted it, and Fleur and Angelina kept talking with their drinks, not quite touching each other but getting closer and closer and more intense with their conversation.

After a while Hermione came in with someone else’s patronus.

"I think this is for you" she said to Angelina, gesturing to the owl patronus.

"This is to let you know, Angelina Johnson, that your International Portkey from, Diagon Alley, London, to, Senkrecht Straße, Berlin, at, 9:28pm, has been cancelled. We are looking to reschedule and will let you know when you can next travel as soon as possible."

Angelina’s face fell.

“Oh that’s not great…”

“Will you be safe? Do you have anywhere to stay?” Fleur asked.

“Ahh, no I don’t. Uh, Hermione, do you happen to have a spare room I could use for the night?”

"Yes of course you can stay! I'll check which room is free for you."

"Thanks so much, I really appreciate it."

With that, Hermione dashed out of the living room and up the stairs.

“At least now you will get to see Hermione’s fabulous show tonight.” Fleur smiled, putting her hand briefly on Angelina’s shoulder.

“Oh that’d be lovely! If I can stay up that long, that is. I’ve had quite a long day, and Berlin’s hour ahead was probably going to be what helped me make it just to midnight.”

“We can find things to keep you awake,” Fleur giggled cheekily, “like dancing!”

Angelina only just became fully aware of the music before Fleur grabbed her hand and pulled her to a side room.

The song was fast, and Fleur made sure they kept moving. But despite them not being super close, Angelina’s heart fluttered the whole time, and not just from excitement. Somehow they did not let go of their hands at all, with Fleur spinning under Angelina’s arm or getting them to jump gracefully together.

The first couple of songs were fast, but then a slow song came on, and they both froze for a moment, unsure whether to change their dance or stop.

Before they could make a decision, the door opened, and they saw Katie with a bottle of champagne.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, going to close the door.

“No, no it’s ok,” Angelina stuttered, letting go of Fleur’s hands, “we were just dancing.”

“What is that you have there? Is that real champagne?”

“You bet! Here, want some?”

“Isn’t it a little early for that?” Angelina asked.

Katie giggled.

“They have stacks, and Ron said it was ok. Here we go!” And Katie conjured three glasses and poured the drink.

“Alright, but I will just have one glass,” Fleur said after taking a sip, “I want to make sure I’m not so drunk I do not enjoy the night.”

After they all took another sip, the door opened slowly and Harry and Hermione walked in with worried looks on their faces.

"So as it turns out, we've managed to exhaust all the rooms" Harry said breathlessly. Hermione continued,

"So unfortunately there aren't any beds in any bedrooms. There is the couch in the upstairs lounge area, although it does connect to several other bedrooms and…”

"It did also throw Neville off in the middle.of the night once when he accidentally slept on it, but we're hoping that if we set you up with blankets and a pillow it'll accept you as a legitimate sleeper…"

"Oh that will be alright,” Angelina reassured them, “I'm sure I can find a hotel around somewhere-"

"Agh, there is no need for such nonsense!” Fleur interrupted, “You have put me in the double bed in the 3rd upstairs room, but I am the only one in it at the moment. You are welcome to share it with me, I most certainly do not need all that space for myself."

"Are you sure? I know

"It is no problem at all! Would you like to share, Angelina?"

Fleur looked at her with curious intensity, and Angelina blushed.

"If it's definitely ok…"

"It certainly is! Then it is sorted, you don't need to go looking at some hotel on this busy night"

Harry and Hermione sighed in relief.

“Thanks so much Fleur,” Harry said gratefully.

"Also," Katie chimed in, "congrats on filling all the rooms!"

Harry grinned.

"Thanks! We've been joking about it for a while, but we thought it might be another year before it actually happened, with Cho expecting. But here we already are!”

With that, Harry and Hermione went into the main room.

“Let’s head back there too,” Angelina suggested, “share the drink.”

“Oh good point, we shouldn’t drink this all ourselves! I’m sure Luna would like some, and I saw Dean eyeing the drinks before too.”

As they headed into the main lounge room, Angelina felt the weariness wash over her. Perhaps Fleur’s dancing really was what kept her functioning those few extra minutes, or maybe it had tired her faster. Either way, all she really wanted to do was sit down.

“Eyyy Katie!” Dean beamed seeing Katie’s bottle. “Got any left?”

“Suuuure do,” she replied, conjuring a glass, “feeling good tonight?”

“Hell yeah! We may have had many New Years’s’s’s together now, but I’m still excited to start each year with Seamus!”

Fleur’s brow furrowed, and she whispered to Angelina “I think that is too many s’s?” Angelina giggled.

“I doubt that’s his first drink tonight - I saw him sharing something with Seamus earlier.”

Fleur nodded, “Ahhh yes, I also saw him earlier with a bottle. I think that is a bit too much to drink, don’t you?”

“Sometimes it can be fun…”

“Yes sometimes, but sometimes I want to remember everything, you know?” Fleur looked directly into Angelina’s eyes, and Angelina blushed.

“I would like to remember, too.”

Another dance song started to play. Fleur raised her eyebrow questioningly at Angelina, who was hit by another wave of tiredness.

“I think I need to sit down for a bit, maybe later right before the fireworks I can get perked up again though.”

Fleur nodded.

“I will come back in a bit then.”

Angelina sat down on a very comfortable couch and watched Fleur float gracefully through their friends, talking to everyone. Her hair shimmered with the Christmas lights, reflecting all the colours of the rainbow. Angelina watched mildly, her eyes starting to close. She really wasn’t her peppy self right now, with her early start and long game starting to catch up with her. She looked at Fleur speaking animatedly with Cho, her hands moving so expressively. Angelina smiled and closed her eyes for just a moment…”

"Are you ok? Do you want to go to bed now?" Fleur awoke Angelina from her brief doze.

"Oh, uh, no I'm oka-" Angelina yawned, "I'm okay, don't let me stop you socialising!"

Fleur gave her a sceptical look, before her eyes widened.

"You came in at 5am this morning, yes? No wonder you're so tired, it's after 11pm! We will go to bed now."

"Are you sure?" Angelina asked before yawning again, “Harry’s midnight celebration is quite the sight!”

"I have seen it before,” Fleur replied, “So yes, we are going to bed now," and Fleur extended her arm to help Angelina up, which she gratefully accepted and felt a tingle down her spine as they clasped hands for a second longer than strictly necessary.

Fleur led Angelina to her room, talking about the various conversations she’d had. Cho was very happy with her pregnancy but nervous about continuously changing the size of her clothes; the real reason Dean was more nervous is because he was going to propose to Seamus tomorrow; Luna had a fabulous fashion sense and Fleur was encouraging her to set up her own brand.

Finally, Fleur opened the door to her, or now their, room.

It was quite small. The double bed took up about three-quarters of the room. She realised now she definitely wouldn’t be able to conjure another bed. Angelina would most definitely need to share a bed with Fleur Delacour, the gorgeous woman who Angelina had just gotten some kind of feelings about.

“I will just get changed…” Fleur murmured, then flicked her wand to change from her clothes into her pyjamas, “there!”

Angelina couldn’t stop herself from staring for a moment. Fleur was in a purple flannel shirt and pants, and she looked gorgeous in it. Her skin and hair contrasted perfectly with the colour, and it fit her body well. The shirt was short enough to show off Fleur’s hips and long legs, and it pressed against her chest, making the outline of her nipples visible.

“Oh, I'm not sure if I’m up to…” Angelina started, before Fleur raised an eyebrow challengingly.

That eyebrow raise was all she needed to get herself awake enough. She paused for a moment to envision the pyjamas she wanted, then flicked her wand and gave herself a matching set to Fleur’s, but in green.

Fleur stopped, her mouth slightly open for a moment, for saying, “Well it is quite time for you to sleep. I don’t know how you have been awake this long!”

The two women got into the bed on opposite sides and lay on their backs. Despite her earlier tiredness, Angelina felt very awake - her heart was beating fast and she could not stop thinking about the woman next to her.

"It's been nice seeing everyone," Angelina murmured.

"It has indeed, Harry has brought so many people together every year. I’m glad you came this year, because it has been so good to see you. Oh but I won’t keep you awake! I know you are very tired.”

Angelina sighed.

“Well, I’m not so tired now.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow.

“It’s as soon as you go to bed, suddenly you’re not tired! Surely you’ve felt this too, right?”

Fleur laughed.

“You are right, I have felt the same. I was only teasing, and I am more awake now too. Maybe we will watch the lights from here?” Fleur sat up and leaned against the back of the bed.

“Ughhhh I don’t want to get out of the warmth though!” Angelina groaned.

Fleur rolled her eyes, and Angelina slowly took one arm, then the other out from the sheets, then pulled her torso out.

“See, it is not so cold!”

Angelina pouted, then leaned against the back of the bed next to Fleur and brushed her eyes.

“You are very cute when you do that,” Fleur whispered, “you’ve done it 5 times tonight.”

Angelina blushed for what felt like the millionth time that evening.

“You’ve kept track?”

“Of course,” Fleur slowly brought her hand to Angelina’s neck.

“I love how much you’ve noticed about everyone tonight. You’re so observant.” Angelina brought her hand up to Fleur’s and threaded their fingers.

“You have such amazing energy. I have been enthralled by it all night.”

Angelina smiled.

“And I’ve been enthralled by yours.” She took Fleur’s other hand in her own.

They heard the countdown by all their friends - they would have heard their enthusiasm even if they weren’t magically amplifying themselves.

10, 9, 8,

Angelina looked right into Fleur’s eyes, their hands still clasped.

7, 6, 5,

Fleur’s eyes glanced at Angelina’s lips. Angelina’s heart raced as her lips quirked.

4, 3, 2

Angelina unclasped one hand and brought it up to gently hold Fleur’s face.

1, 0!!!

Fleur and Angelina leaned in at the same time, their lips meeting right as the new year began.

Fleur wrapped her arms around Angelina, pulling her closer.

Some time after the bang of fireworks had truly begun, they pulled apart, smiling.

A big flash of blue peeked through the crack in their window, accompanied by booming chimes.

“Seeing as we’re both up, let’s watch the show Hermione’s put on.” Angelina said. Fleur nodded with a smile, and Angelina got up and extended a hand to Fleur. When she was standing, they kept holding hands as they walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.

Fleur lent her head on Angelina’s shoulder, not letting go of her hand for the whole show.