As Hogwarts disappeared from view, I was surprised by how little I felt about it. The castle no longer held pleasant memories for me. Sad memories were mixed between the folds, making the castle seem bittersweet.

Beauxbatons was not much better, as I knew all that lingered there were students who by now had heard of what had happened after the third task. Questions upon questions were all that would be asked, and I would have to do my best to dodge them.

Madam Benoît was the first person we saw once the carriage reached a halt on the platform under the school. Her pocket watch on a chain was in her hand, right on time. She looked exactly like we had left her which in some ways felt like a blessing.

"You guys are going to have to hide me until I'm out of her sight," Jacqueline reminded us as we waited to exit the carriage, but despite our best efforts, Madam Benoît singled Jacqueline out almost immediately and demanded that she come forward.

Muttering darkly under her breath, Jacqueline walked to her while I thanked my lucky stars for not being noticed for opening the carriage door.

Mariana also looked remarkably the same, with thick dark hair ruffled around her slim face. A cigarette was held between two fingers in one hand, her legs crossed as she watched us by the rushing fountain next to her other friend, Isa. The summer flowers were starting to blossom in the garden as all the returning students from the carriage rushed past the familiar garden towards the fountain.

As if it were the first day of school, everyone unclasped their heels and threw their hats to the ground before diving into the fountain. After giving a kiss on the cheek to Mariana I joined them until Jacqueline arrived.

She wasn't fuming anymore, but an irritated line remained above her brow as she took the cigarette from her Portuguese friend and took a drag.

"Glad to see you got away in one piece," Mariana said with a familiar smirk to her features. I twisted the water out of my hair as I joined them with Marie following after. Unlike the rest, she only got her legs wet.

"I have a reading list that I must complete over the summer as punishment," Jacqueline said with a snort. "And I have to write a damn essay for each one!"

"Are the books on disobedience?" I asked, curiously from the fountain side. She shook her head dismissively before replying with classic French literature.

"It would be one thing if the punishment matched the crime, but this seems a bit far fetch, no?" Marie asked the group, who all agreed as expected. Relaxing back, my eyes drifted up to the sky before catching sight of something coming towards us.A black object, that later revealed itself to be a sleek black feathered owl flew towards us with a note tied in it's claws. I recognized the owl moments before it landed by my side. I had seen it the day I sent my brothers letters to my mother.

It was Malfoy's owl.

I took the note from the owl's leg with as much self control as I could muster so as not to rip the note and stash it away suspiciously in front of my friends. Even then, Marie, ever the smart one, questioned the note.

"I don't recognize the owl. Who's it from? Sam?"

"No," I said with a light laugh, as I glanced at the address. "It's in my mother's handwriting. Knowing her, she must be at some social light's soiree across the pond and had to borrow an owl." Of course, my mother never addressed letters to me by my last name alone, but Marie didn't need to know that.

While Mariana went on to tell us about the three girls who over slept and missed their seats on the carriage to the tournament in the beginning of the year, my eyes drifted back to the note. Taking a chance, I slowly opened it and began to read.

I think it goes without saying that I figured you would avoid me if I came by this morning. What with your friends around and the way we left things off at the owlrey. I wonder, did you recognize the owl? Mum gave it to me as an early birthday present on her latest trip up east. His name is Octan.

I glanced up from the note to see Octan watching me. He obviously expected an answer back, I thought with a small smile. So be it.

Mum's already planning something for the summer so be prepared to dodge more questions. You never know what might come up.

I mentally repressed an eye-rolled before continuing.

After all there is cause to celebrate, no matter what Dumbledore says. Knowing your parents you'll be dragged here one way or another. Try to avoid that git from the Quidditch cup until then. You have that horrible habit of talking to him over the summer, don't you? I doubt I'll be as helpful to you if I had to see him again. I'd rather you jinx me than run across him. Happy Summer

-Draco

I turned the note over and folded it up so that there was just enough space for a short reply. Glancing up at my friends I asked if either had a quill. Isa turned to her bag before handing me one of her grey quills and ink. The following is what I wrote back to Malfoy.

If you say so. I'll send Xander your best wishes.

-A

"What's that smile about? Did your mother have good news for you?" Marie asked curiously. She came near my shoulder but I had already folded up the note and turned to Octan.

"Smile? I was just enjoying reading my mother's frustrations. It's something she said about Damion," I added, filling Mariana and Isa in. "She's still going after him about his girlfriend and he's putting up a fight."

"And you're happy about that?" Isa asked, looking over Mariana's shoulder. I nodded along honestly.

"Oh yes. My mother needs to be put in her place from time to time. And it's always great to watch."

Liar liar, I am such a liar.

Students were laughing in relief as the fountain splashed over them, old friends were reunited while others looked on suspiciously from the balcony. A few teachers walked through the gardens, looking upon the scene with passive judgement. Among the teachers, I saw Professeur Beaupré, walking along with a cup of tea balanced in one hand, the other holding the saucer. She was in lilac robes today, that worked beautifully with her fair complexion and red curls. Catching my eye as I released Octan, she raised her tea cup my way and kept walking slowly along the path.

While dinner was a nice change from the buffet style at Hogwarts, something was missing at our table. I wanted Sam with us, as well as Ginny and Hermione. But things were returning to their original state almost immediately with Rosalie placing her translation pearls back on her ears, and Gisele no longer acting as stand in translator for Jacqueline, who in turn spent most of the first dinner out of her seat being her social butterfly self again.

Even the next day at potions, where I sat behind Isabeau, the sight of my friendly potions teacher, Professeur Martin, seemed off. I had expected Professor Snape, even though I hadn't had him as a teacher in years.

The oddities continued for the rest of the week as small things, like the change in teachers, the sight of nymphs in the halls instead of the house ghost of Hogwarts, and even the sight of the tasteful décor in the halls rubbed me the wrong way.

Was this all truthfully from a student's death?

On the last day at Beauxbatons, I was sitting out by the fountain, something that never seemed out of place for me, with the rest of my friends. I was distributing copies of the photographs I had taken of our trip to Hogwarts while Mariana looked over Jacqueline's shoulder.

I had just passed the last set of copies for the final picture taken, the one my brother took, when Fleur walked up to us. Mila almost fell back into the fountain, she didn't know how to react, but thankfully for her, Fleur wasn't looking her way, but rather at me.

"Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course," I said, getting up. After brushing off the back of my skirt I followed her a ways through the garden until we were out of sight from the lingering eyes of my friends.

"How are you doing? Being back is nice, yes?" She asked in her sing-song voice. I gave her an awkward reply, managing to explain how odd I felt being back.

"Yes," she agreed. "There is something about Hogwarts that Beauxbatons doesn't have. I can't put my finger on it but-" we stopped as Gabrielle walked by with four of her friends rushing after her. At catching sight of her sister, Gabrielle turned in the opposite way, laughing as her friends followed after her. Fleur's eyes narrowed but that simple smile of hers remained.

"My sister is happy to be back here," she continued, oddly still. Her eyes remained ahead of her, at the point where her sister had run off. "She was scared of the castle."

"I don't blame her," I said back politely. "Not all schools have the charm we have here."

"I'm sorry," she said out of the blue, turning back to me. "I didn't mean to take you away from your friends over this," she said with a wave of her hand. "I wanted to ask you a favor, and I haven't figured out how best to ask."

"Just ask," I said simply while my mind started to do summersaults trying to guess what she could possibly ask me. Was it about Draco? Did she finally want to know what that was about? Or was it about Harry? It's not like I knew enough about him to tell her much.

"The brother, of 'arry's friend," she started, before stopping again, frowning as if trying to word her thoughts better. I was looking at her in complete confusion.

"Brother? Ron's brother? Who- you mean the twins?"

"No!" She interjected, repulsed. "The older one. The one with the long hair and err- earing," she mimicked with her finger to her left earlobe. "You know him."

"Bill," I said, remembering the older Weasley in question. "Yeah, I met him once. But I don't know him well if that's what you're asking." Why was she asking me about a Weasley brother?

"Oh, I thought you knew him." She sounded flustered, but unlike Rosalie, Fleur did not seem discouraged by this turn in events, rather, she continued on a different conversation.

"After I graduate this year, I will be starting an internship at Gringotts. The brother, Bill, might be there."

"Maybe," I said calmly. I had no idea Fleur would be one to work with goblins. Didn't she dislike the musk of Hogwarts? I was pretty sure the underground workings of Gringotts were no better. "But if he is," I continued slowly, "he'll be easy to talk to. He's a nice guy. Low-key if that makes sense."

Fleur thought this over, as if the word was foreign to her, but she seemed pleased by it as we walked on.

"My friends think I'm crazy to go there," she continued, as we turned the corner. "I think they expected me to work in some form of fashion design or perfume line in Paris. But I never liked that sort of thing to do it as a job."

"You want to exercise your brain," I stated, and was relieved to see her nod feverishly, her eyes deceiving her happiness in seeing me understand her.

"Yes. Exercise," she repeated as an afterthought. "I also found the work of goblins to be fascinating. They are twisted creatures whom people are quick to judge."

"Like Veela?" Fleur glanced my way before smiling to herself and nodding.

"Like Veela. But different still."

"Fleur, I wondered," I started, but stopped, realizing that if I asked what I had thought, she might get offended. Sensing my worry, she too stopped and looked me dead in the eye.

"Go ahead, ask." I focused on her for a moment, before continuing.

"When I was at the Quidditch World Cup this summer, I came across some Veela that were mascots for one of the teams. I, how should I say this," I thought aloud. Fleur kept her focus on me, her interest never wavering, so I went on.

"There were three of them having their fun, charming these boys on the side as my brothers and I walked past and, well, one looked at me. And she smiled. And for whatever reason, it felt like she knew me." Fleur tilted her head to the side as if thinking something through while I continued to fluster around with my words.

"I don't think I have any Veela blood in my family. And I know I wasn't tranced when that happened. My brothers kept walking but I stopped to look at her on purpose because I felt like she was familiar as well."

"It's possible," Fleur began, deep in thought, "that she knew someone in your family. Like an ancestor. Veela can live for many years longer than us," she added, clarifying her explanation.

"You think she recognized me from someone in my family?" Fleur nodded.

"It's possible. Though it's a rare relationship to have. Most Veela only gain romantic relationships with wizards, not protective which is what it sounds like for you. If you felt like she was familiar to you then there must be some magic at play. But what type and the power of magic I would not know."

We had reached the patio steps. Fleur turned to me again, a new look in her eyes. But it wasn't negative by any means. She was more curious than ever.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you did have Veela blood in you. Maybe not as direct of a line but still," she paused, looking me over. I wasn't fazed by this news. I had thought something similar myself.

"If so, my grand'mère either pretends we don't or truly doesn't know," I confided. Fleur seemed to understand this.

"Not many families are willing to admit to it and yet so many have Veela blood. It shows up in different ways. Like in your looks, or," she paused, her eyes looking behind me. I turned to see my friends coming up the garden, looking our way. "How people gravitate towards you," she finished, looking back at me with sharp focus.

I smiled to the floor before waving off Fleur and turning to my friends who were all ears about the conversation. But this time, I chose to keep some things to myself. After all, everything Fleur and I had just discussed was just speculation. No biggie.

On the day of everyone's departure, there was a lot of hugs that went around. Marie almost pulled at my hair, making me promise to come sailing with the group soon.

"I don't care if you have to jinx your parents, you have to come, you here?"

"Yes, Marie. Take care of yourself until then." She gave me a kiss on the check before promising all the same.

Mila gave me a strong hug as her cherry red hair blinded me for a moment. Ana was next, giving me a kiss on both checks which I copied back.

"Everyone will be at the sailing party or there will be hell to pay," Marie said as a final goodbye to the rest of us as we entered the Paris bound carriage.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get into your carriage dutchie," was all Jacqueline had to say before we disappeared into the vehicle.

It was in everyone's minds but it was Gisele who said it aloud on our final trip home.

"Do you think next year will be any different if what Dumbledore said was true?"

Jacqueline's once excited air dulled a moment as she placed an arm around her friend and nuzzled her shoulder gently.

"At this point, all we can do is wait." Rosalie nodded along slowly.

"And hope that he was wrong."

At the station, I was surprised to find of all people, my cousin, Célia, waiting for me. The moment I stepped off the carriage and walked toward her she raced at me, and wrapped me into a long hug.

"Are you alright?" she asked, releasing me finally. Even at 19, Célia had a determined streak to her that reminded me oddly of Fleur. I nodded and gave her a warm smile.

"I'm better now that I'm home. Where's grand'mère?"

"At home. With my mother. Grand'mère had a nasty fall when she heard the news about that boy dying but don't worry. She's alright," she continued, seeing my concerned reaction. "Now let's get your bags and we can start on home, yes?" I nodded and took a deep breath.

I did not know what life had in store for me this summer. But as I left that platform for Grand'mère's, I felt resigned to the fact that this year had started something that was out of my control. I just hoped I could stay above the current, no matter what it would bring.

-

Hello there!

This ends the Years of Blue book! I'm so happy you were able to make it this far and have voted, commented or even just added it to your library or book list. It is such a great feeling to see something I've worked on spread and see people enjoying the story.

As promised, below you will find the cover to the next book: Rise of the Death Eaters

Granted, I wasn't expecting Malfoy to look quite as wicked as this cover shows, but I'm not going to complain either. It's a cool cover. This was made by @marvelity for those looking for a cover artist.

I will be posting my first actual chapter for this new book on Wednesday so I will see you there (if you choose to continue on this adventure with Ava)

Signing off,

-WG-