Over the next few weeks, Antoinette and Louis-Auguste did not bed. Everyone was wondering what was going to happen. There were rumours that there were talks of sending Antoinette back to Hapsburg.
Meanwhile, comtesse duBarry was complaining to the king that Antoinette was snubbing her. I didn’t know what the king would do, so I knew I should talk to Antoinette about it.
One morning after Mass, I found Antoinette crying in her rooms. I sat down next to her.
“Oh, my dear Antonia, what’s wrong?” I asked in German.
“My mother has sent me a letter saying how I have disappointed Austria, and that I must no longer be attractive or pretty,” she said. I tried not to roll my eyes.
“Antonia, of course you’re pretty. You’re the most pretty woman at court. It is the Dauphin’s fault. But you must inspire him,” I said. Antoinette shrugged.
“How?” I asked.
“You must find a way for him to want you,” I told her. Antoinette wiped her eyes, and let her shoulders droop.
“Antonia, you must behave like a Dauphine. If anyone was to come in now, they would be very shocked at this sight. And speaking of being shocked, I am afraid that if you do not say something to comtesse duBarry, she will have the king banish you from the castle. There are rumours of talks of sending you back to Hapsburg,” I said.
“If she were in Austria, Maman would send her away at once,” Antoinette said, sitting up straight.
“We are not in Austria,” I said gently, “The king is greatly influenced by comtesse duBarry, and add in the fact that you have not consummated the marriage, it is very likely that you will have an annulment,” I said. Antoinette shook her head.
“I am the Dauphine of France. I should not have to talk to people like her,” she said. I sighed. Of course she must talk to duBarry. I looked around as some of Antoinette’s chambermaids walked in.
“Madame la Dauphine, if you do not need me right now, I shall like to go for a walk in the gardens,” I said in French. Antoinette nodded.
“Thank you for your help, Katharina. I must go to my husband and the king anyway,” she said. I smiled at her.
“Will comtesse duBarry be there?” I asked. The chambermaids were obviously listening in.
“Most probably,” Antoinette said. I looked at her pointedly, and she shook her head slightly so that the chambermaids, who were pretending to things other than listening, couldn’t see.
“I will you see you later, Madame la Dauphine,” I said. Antoinette smiled at me.
“As always, Katharina,” she replied, and we walked off our different ways. I walked down to the royal gardens, hoping that Jacques would remember to meet me. I wasn’t disappointed. He stood exactly where we had agreed to meet. I smiled at him, and we started walked.
“It’s another beautiful day,” I said. Jacques nodded, smiling. He watched me carefully.
“Do you ever miss Beauxbatons?” he asked in German. I nodded.
“So much. It was a beautiful castle, though not as beautiful as Versailles, and I loved the magic. I loved everything,” I said, “I don’t regret becoming Antonia’s maid, but I do wish I could’ve learnt more magic.” Jacques smiled.
“I have something show you,” he said. I followed him to the stable where he worked. He looked around to make sure no one was around, and got out his wand. He waved it over one of the wood panels, and a door appeared. I frowned.
“Jacques. Is it safe to have here?” I asked. Jacques laughed.
“No Muggle will find it, will they?” he asked. I smiled, and nodded in agreement. I followed him through the doorway into a small room. It was filled with all things magical.
“It’s been here since Versailles was built. I got this job through someone magical, who showed me. On the outside, it looks like nothing’s there, and Muggles, and witches and wizards, can walk through it easily. I have been teaching myself more magic, and sometimes someone comes in to help me,” Jacques said.
“It’s amazing, Jacques!” I replied. He smiled.
“I was in the year above you in Beauxbatons, plus I stayed a year after you left, which meant I already knew more magic than you, and I’ve been teaching myself since I got here. I can teach you, if you’d like,” he said. I nodded.
“Oh, yes please! And can we curse comtesse duBarry?” I asked. Jacques laughed.
“We could make a love potion for the Dauphin,” Jacques said. I gasped.
“Oh, let’s!” I replied. Jacques shook his head.
“No. Not now, at least. You need to learn more magic. Plus, I’m sure he’ll get there in his own time,” he said. I snorted with disbelief.
“Do you honestly believe that?” I asked. Jacques nodded.
“Remember that time your sister cursed the Charms classroom?” I asked. Jacques nodded.
“Brigitte is a trouble maker,” Jacques said.
“Brigitte Delacour was quite famous in the school,” I said. Jacques smiled.
“She finished school last year, and is no married to an Italian, Carlo Rossi. She’s now Brigitte Rossi. She’s very happy in Italy,” Jacques said.
“Carlo Rossi? The best Quidditch player at Beauxbatons?” I asked. Jacques nodded.
“The very same. They fell in love in their last year, and Carlo immediately asked his parents if he’d be allowed to marry her. They were happy to accept. My parents couldn’t be more thrilled. Now they just want me to marry,” Jacques said. I nodded, and smiled at him.
“Have you got your eye on anyone you could marry?” I asked. Jacques grinned, and nodded.
“I do,” he said. Suddenly I felt really angry, almost jealous.
“Who?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. Jacques laughed and staggered a few steps backwards from laughter.
“I doubt she’d have me, it doesn’t matter,” he said, watching me. I calmed down, and then looked around.
“So, are you going to teach me any magic?’ I asked. Jacques nodded, and we sat down.
*~*
Over many months, Jacques taught me a lot of magic. I got to know him quite well, and fairly soon, I found I was spilling Antoinette’s secrets to him. I didn’t know why I was doing it. I knew I could trust him, but it was still betraying Antoinette’s trust.
Antoinette has caught on that I went for a walk with Jacques most mornings after Mass. She made fun of me about it, when no one else was around.
“You will not leave me if you get married, will you?” Antoinette asked on day when she was upset over another letter from her mother.
“Antonia, of course not. Only if my husband absolutely insisted. Not that it matters, because I am not even engaged to anyone, or being courted, from what I can tell,” I said. Antoinette gave me a wicked grin.
“Oh, so you do not go for walks with Jacques Delacour every morning after Mass, and you do not tell me about him a lot when there is no one else around, or in German?” she asked. I rolled my eyes.
“I may like him, but he does not like me. He has his eye on someone else,” I told her, remembering the conversation I had had with Jacques when he showed me his secret room in pain.
“So why is he not courting them?” she asked.
“You will have to ask -” I got cut off by the door opening.
“Antoinette, Stanislas’ bride is here,” Louis-Auguste said, walking into the room. He looked between us females, and then shrugged.
“I am coming, Louis. Are you going for a walk in the garden, Katharina?” she asked, her eyes flashing with humour. I nodded.
“Unless you need me to do something for you?” I asked. Antoinette paused, as she saw her dogs, that were hardly pups anymore.
“Can you take my dogs for a walk in the garden?” she asked. I nodded.
“Of course, Madame la Dauphine,” I said, while silently wishing to curse her. I could not take the dogs to my magic lesson. She walked out the door with her husband, and I put the leashes on her dogs. I went out to the garden with them, and Jacques smiled.
“No magic lesson today?” he murmured in German. I nodded.
“I’m sorry, Antonia asked me to walk her dogs,” I replied in the same language.
“It does not matter. We can just enjoy each other’s company,” he said. I smiled slightly. I remembered my conversation with Antoinette earlier.
“Jacques? Are you courting anyone?” I asked. Jacques shrugged.
“It depends on if they count it as courting or not. Are you being courted by anyone?” he asked. I shook my head.
“If I am, the person is doing it badly,” I replied. Jacques smiled at me.
“They’ll just have to try better, won’t they?” he replied, winking. I frowned.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. Jacques just laughed as he took a couple of the leashes off me.
“If anyone is courting you, then they’ll have to do it better. Surely someone must be courting you, you are very beautiful,” he said. I rolled my eyes.
“I am the Dauphine’s personal maid, Jacques. No one would court me,” I replied.
“Well, I’m sure you’d make a very good wife one day,” he said. I sighed. What was he doing? Antoinette was convinced I was being courted by Jacques. Of course, she didn’t know what was really happening. Jacques was courting someone else if they counted it as courting. What did that mean? And Jacques was convinced someone else was courting me. I was completely confused as to what was going on.
AN~ Okay, so I wrote the second chapter much faster than I thought I would. Less than a day. I think I'm on a roll. Anyway, I totally haven't planned Jacques, I was just writing in the last chapter, and though, Katharina should know someone from Baeuxbatons. And then I thought, well, maybe it can be a love interest. And then I decided he would be an ancestor of Fleur. And then in this chapter, I was just like, how can I add more magic into this, I know, we can have a secret magic room!
Anyway, thanks to pinks and doratonks14 for reviewing th last chapter. I know there hasn't been really much time to review but oh well!
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
xoxox
~ginny_malfoy22
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