Both! I have a theory that an author should treat themselves like they treat their protagonist. Some of the best ideas come when you limit yourself. Censorship in TV shows has forced writers to find really creative solutions to things that they would have never searched for otherwise and in some cases they spawned some of the best known moments from the shows.

This isn't to say you should make your challenge impossible. You just shouldn't go too easy on yourself either. You need to find a happy medium.

Also while it is completely irrelevant, I know a girl who started dating a senior as a freshman, married him, and is now pregnant. They are both fairly happy well adjusted people who both have good jobs. That is far from the norm though. I'd definitely agree that most HS relationships are just unhealthy in general, but nobody ever said that Harry and Fleur needed a healthy relationship or even one that lasts.

Though in all honesty, real world relationships rarely work well in stories. You want enough realism that you don't break the suspension of disbelief, but it's always good to remember that TV, books, and movies are all ways to escape from reality for a bit. They don't need to be 100% realistic.

 

It's hard to argue against someone who uses an argument I've made (just with poetry) back to me. My theory is that the reason why so much well known free-form poetry is such garbage is because there's no forcing ground for the intellect, whereas creating a form (even if it's as simple as a rhythm or a rhyme) makes the writer inventive.

I think we're saying much the same thing as each other, just from different angles. Part of my reticence in a young Fleur/Harry is that to make it believable would demand quite a bit of narrative to be spent on it. I like my romances to take a back seat to my action and my adventure. Perhaps you don't. But it's the main reason I think a well written post-Hogwarts Fleur/Harry might be so interesting.

Anyway, if you have something to bust me about, I'll look forward to it. If not, it's been a pleasure.

 

Just about everything is spot-on.

One of the things that makes writing Harry/Fleur so enjoyable for me is precisely the challenge of bringing them together in a way that doesn't break suspension of disbelief. Another, however, is there's a host of issues that does not have to be parsed and explained away.

For instance - if Harry starts dating anyone at Hogwarts - why did he just notice her now? What captured his attention that made her suddenly seem different? How does she explain whatever part she took in belittling him (unless it's one of his housemates), since most of the character that had any kind of building in the HP world outside Gryffindor's did something to belittle him (or, at least, dismiss him)?

So, personally, I like the fresh start when it comes to history between the two characters. I think it makes it more believable than Harry dating most of the girls at Hogwarts outside of Ginny or Cho.

 

First off, hello all! I just joined DLP in search of some quality works and I'm certainly glad I found this community.

Harry/Fleur has been quite intriguing for me, mostly because of the conflict and difficulty involved in any possible relationship between them (platonic or romantic). Unfortunately, there are oh-so-few decent stories with this pairing, as I have found out for myself.

If it's not a story with an OP Harry that faces no challenges whatsoever, it's filled with overdone bashing, soul bonds, or harems. While I do not mean to be harsh (seeing as I am a poor writer and probably couldn't do much better), many stories with Harry and Fleur are quite frankly rather boring.

Fleur's character is, in my opinion, a chance to see the Wizarding World outside of Britain - an opportunity to explore fresh perspectives and new ideas. And yet most stories seem content to make her either a bimbo, a one-dimensional helpless damsel, or merely a pretty face.

I must confess myself at somewhat of a loss. My favorite story in this category right now has been Letters, by TheEndless7...but it is rather dated, and I've been searching for other stories of its caliber ever since. Are there any suggestions you guys would make for me?

 

Yeah, Fleur's tough. One of the main reasons I started writing my own story was that I liked the idea of her as a lead character / romantic interest, but no one story got her completely right, IMO.

Sixth Year: The Steps Toward The End, in addition to having one of the worst titles ever, has a really, really good Harry/Fleur interlude, about 1/3 of the way through I believe. She exemplifies the "Summer Girl" trope here: a fleeting moment that cannot last. She and Harry are both aware of this, and the tension and push/pull attraction is done very well. IIRC it doesn't devolve into "she's misunderstood / aloof as a mask" or anything like that. She's just a girl, who's engaged to Bill, and unsure of her own feelings.

Knowledge is Power kind of takes the opposite path; she and Harry are both extremely competent, and their attraction is more overtly playful and made of one-upmanship. Fleur's arrogance and confidence are done pretty damn well here, though like everything else about the fic, it's kind of... over-the-top? Unsubtle? Reveling in its own outlandishness? Something like that.

We'll All Fall After the Yule Ball has a nicely-written Fleur, though she's not especially deep. Which is not at all a problem considering the scope of the fic - she acts more as a foil or outside PoV to the other girls Harry interacts with. Which seems to kind of be what you're looking for?

When A Veela Cries has some nicely written individual moments, but it's focused too much on the veela aspect of things and a bit angst-y for my tastes. Deprived is kind of like a worse version of Knowledge is Power in that Harry's even more over-the-top and Fluer's kind of shoved into a Desdemona-esque "perfect mirror for a perfect soul" role. Dagger and Rose it's been so long since I've read it that I can't really comment with authority; at the very least I guarantee the writing is good. I thiiiiiink I remember there being some aspect of her where her the plot drove her characterization, rather than the other way around, but I could honestly just be making that up.

Fics like A Cadmean Victory and His Angel fall below a minimum standard for good writing, IMO. YMMV. They don't do anything to make Fleur particularly interesting.

Wastelands of Time and The Lie I've Lived are covered pretty extensively on DLP, you should be able to form you own opinion on them. I like both fics, but not because of Fleur's characterization.

Fics that try to do multipairings with Fleur just make me angry, because in theory those relationships are just hugely complex and ripe for interesting drama and fascinating just on spec, but I've literally never seem them work, ever. I'm Still Here is a lukewarm bag of cliches and very overwritten. Harry Potter and the Price of Being Noble is the kind of fic I'm embarrassed to admit I've even read partway through, and the girls are literally interchangeable. Heart and Soul has some interesting elements but the writing has about as much verve and charisma as my high school driving instructor. Harry Potter and the Scīenra Cwēna writes romance like someone who'd only heard of the concept via rough description.

To be honest, some of the best Fleur characterization I've seen is when she has a role like she does in canon: third-tier character. It's probably just the fact that less screen time = less chance to screw it up. I think her brief appearance in The Changeling is really really solid. Bungle in the Jungle really captures her sense of fun, I think, and the way she and Harry play off each other (with her being committed to Bill but an underlying and unstated... something... between them) is good. (YMMV on the other things that fic does, but I like that part of it). It Could Only Happen to Harry is probably the fandom's best smut piece, and Fleur's great in it - though it's Tonks who really steals the show. There are probably a few others I'm forgetting here - Prince of the Dark Kingdom has a pretty solid Fleur, I think? But, yeah.

If Letters is your shining exemplar of a good Harry/Fleur you're probably in luck; that fic is lumped in with Heart and Soul for me in the "All this understated slow-burn stuff is really cool oh wait nope it's actually just boring" sense.

 

As much as I love Harry/Fleur, I'm firmly in the camp that if it happens 'canonically', then I'm not interested. Unless they're both adults.

If their circumstances are the same as canon, and a seventeen year old über babe is somehow even remotely romantically interested in a skinny, little emo kid, I won't even bother.

It can't be done well, at least to be able to suspend my disbelief.

Either make him older, or write a story set when they're both adults. The issue of the pairing itself disappears and 'all' you have to do is write interesting characters.

 

Ah, thank you kindly! I'll start perusing those immediately.

I definitely agree with you on the multi fics. While I suppose it could be done well, I have yet to see any. :S

Most end up with either a Harry with a ridiculously inflated worth (12-pack MERLIN-esque greatest man ever!!!11!1!) or girls that have the personality and charm of cardboard.

Rather irritating, really.

 

Newcomb obligatory relink to one of my better posts

 

Way ahead of you.

 

You should probably read the books again if that is your characterization of Harry.

As for things on Fleur's side, she would have been a young child when Harry defeated a dark lord so scary that people refused to speak his name. It's not that far of a stretch for her to have grown up hearing stories about him. The fact that he summoned a goddamn broom and flew circles around the most dangerous of the dragons he could have picked might just tip the scales a bit in his favor too. The biggest problem with Harry in fourth year is always going to be his lack of experience and general understanding of how people see him.

 

Which just might be quite refreshing to a 17 year old part Veela. One where she feels she can safely be in the "friend zone" with him and then, because she's not been careful emotionally, finds herself feeling more for him than she should.

 

I'll leave that trash to you then. Enjoy

 

Self-serving, sure . . . but my favorite line of your post: When A Veela Cries literally murders 90% of Hogwarts to clear the way.

 

That's fine. I've just always been of the opinion that if bookworm and not very attractive 99% of the time Hermione can date a 7th year Viktor Krum then it shouldn't be too far of a stretch to imagine that Harry could get with Fleur. He has more going for him than Hermione does.

 

One of the idea's floating my head is for future Harry to be so fed up with never having had any carefree time (they make him hunt down evil sadistic overlords for the rest of his life) that he, during his inevitable midlife crisis due to having had no decent childhood, decides to go back and make sure he has a happy childhood.

Only to of course mess things up humonguously because he didn't take into account that there is a very good reason why there is a timelimit on time turners.

Firstly he fails in timing, still arriving after Voldemort killed his parents.
Secondly he has no body and he has only a very short amount of time before he fades to whatever afterlife you believe there is in the Harry Potter universe. Therefore the only two things he manages to get done is to cast a patronus with the last of his magic, telling Sirius to get over himself and take Harry far away from England and raise him well, instead of chacing after Pettigrew. Or risk getting haunted for the rest of his life.

The only other thing he gets done is posses Harry long enough to battle the horcux in him into submission, linking the soul with the protection ritual that Lily left behind to basically give Harry a relatively mindless protector spirit that activates whenever Harry is in mortal danger, kicking anyone's ass Voldemort style.

Net result: Sirius believes the stag patronus to be the ghost of James, takes Harry and foregoes hunting Pettigrew. Unfortunately Pettigrew still manipulates things to his advantage, convincing the Minister to issue a kiss on sight order on Sirius, forcing him to flee England with Harry moving around a lot and eventually going as far as to flee ICW territory altogether and move to Asia. For most of the world, it appears Harry perished with Voldemort.

Dumbledore confirms Voldemort still lives in the same way as in canon year one, except this time no students are involved (the mirror slows Voldemort/Quirrell long enough). The chamber opening doesn't happen (Lucius keeps the diary). Dumbledore gets more worried during year 2 and 3 about Voldemort, and more actively pursues what might have happened to Harry and in his investigations discoveres Pettigrew was the true secretkeeper, causing the rat to flee to Voldemort.

Year 4 Harry's name appears from the goblet (true start of the story) and all hell breaks lose. The goblet summons Harry to Scotland, him appearing in just pyjama pants because he had been sleeping. (He was somewhere in Aia at the time of the summoning, during nighttime because of time difference).

Harry has been raised by Sirius, causing him to be slightly irresponsible (though still more mature than Sirius, because someone has to be the mature and responsible one), somewhat in between timid and flirtatious, in a innocent way and reasonably social, although he does enjoy his private time. He also enjoys a occasional prank, although to a lesser extend than Sirius.

The first time he meets Fleur in the antechamber goes someting along these lines:

"Who are you and why are you half naked?", was the first greeting he recieved from a golden haired, tall boy in the back, near the hearth. Although the greeting was somewhat blunt and uncivil, Harry couldn't really take offence, because he was half naked and the guy probably hadn't meant it in a offensive way. He just had the whole friendly vibe going on. The other guy in the room remained silent. Not the social happy kind, from what Harry could see. Now the third occupant was what caught Harry's attention. Hair a blond so light it was nearly silver in color, a figure and legs that most women would happily murder a dozen innocent puppies for, and a elegant face, complimented by the most stunning blue eyes he had ever seen. She was watching him neutrally, a slightly aloof expression on her face, one eyebrow raised in silent question as to his partial nudity.

Had he already mentioned he would love to have some clothes right about now? Doing this half naked seems foolish, but you take what is given you and he wasn't very self concious of his body anyway. "Ah, you are the most welcome sight I've seen this day. You wouldn't have any clothes lying around, would you miss?", Harry tapered off, fishing for her name. The second eyebrow joined the first, an amused expression appearing on her face. "I might 'ave, eef you are into wearing skirts." Definately not the best opening line, Harry cringed. Oh well, seduction will have to wait for another less embarrassing time. It never quite works when you are freezing to death. "My name is Harry and for some reason I was chosen to be the fourth contestant in your tournament, despite the fact that I was living in [insert asian place] and nowhere near this 'goblet'. I seem to have forgotten to take any clothes with me when I was abducted to here.", Harry drily stated, "And apparantly nowone had the presence of mind to provide me any.", he concluded quite sarcastically. "Why didn't you just conjure some. They wouldn't last long, but its better than freezing.", the golden boy offered, while Harry moved beside him near the fire. "I seem to have forgotten to bring my wand as well."


Haven't gotten much further than that yet, but the scene just popped into my head. I will likely never write the story though, because my ADD practically guarantees my attention will waver away from it. The idea is that Harry is somewhat of a shameless flirt, although slightly clumsy in his flirting (he is only 14 after all) and Fleur finds it amuzing and enjoys riling him up a bit, but consideres Harry too young to be attracted to him in the beginning. From there on out you could take the story any way you like. Could be a good framework for anyone who wants to write a decent Harry/Fleur. Harry has travelled around a lot and perhaps Fleur is interested in hearing about exotic places (perhaps this is how she started with Bill as well?).

 

Why would Asia not be covered by the International Confederation of Wizards?

I don't care much for flirty Harry (though I understand why this particular Harry might be this way), but I find the above an interesting starting point for a Harry/Fleur relationship.

 

Have you seen Emma Watson?

And before you say that that's the movies, Rowling signed off on all the castings.

 

I doubt Rowling was envisioning Emma Watson when she was writing Hermione in the first place.

Also, keep in mind that Rowling signed off on Rickman as Snape. The man was a great actor, but a terrible Snape.

 

https://youtu.be/7BdVHWz1DPU?t=5m47s

https://www.reddit.com/r/harrypotter/comments/2xlxn6/til_jk_rowling_agrees_that_emma_watson_was_too/

 

Yes but then again, E.W. was 11 years old at the time (and even then was 'too good looking'):

Rowling also said she's going to always picture her "gawky, geeky, ugly duckling Hermione" in her head.

It's all in the transcript NuitTombee linked to.