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Viktor was less than amused when he arrived thirty minutes early, as he was supposed to, at esplanade of the Eiffel Tower only to not see Fleur anywhere waiting for him. She had invited him to dinner to catch up, and though Viktor loved to do just that, this was not the place he would have gone with.
He had been cleared by the first security check and sent towards the entrance of Madame Brasserie, and there was still no Fleur. His lift ticket, the costs of which he really did not wish to think about, granted him acces to the first level of the Eiffel. When he exited the lift he had to pass through a second security check, only then he was let to his table where no one was yet waiting for him. Viktor wasn't yet too worried about the lack of dinner partner, it was only a quarter to nine and dinner wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes later and Fleur's dazzling presence was yet to grace to restaurant with its presence.
Viktor was debating if he was willing to throw away the reservation Fleur made and simply have some dinner in a less extravagant part of town when a familiar shade of red entered his periphery.
"I am so sorry I am late, I forgot there was a dress code here and I had to improvise."
It was Charlie Weasley, one of Fleur's brothers-in-law, immediately it all became clear to Viktor what was going on. The date for one, the bright pink heart decorations everywhere. His friend tried to set him up on a blind date, and didn't even have the guts to tell him so to his face. For Merlin's sake, there was a reason he didn't date Fleur! And no, that had nothing to do with his demanding career as a seeker, though that was certainly a turn-off for many prospective partners after they figured out how little time they could spent together.
"No need to apologise, I haven't been waiting for long. And no has come by yet to ask us which starter we want, though I am leaning towards the slow-cooked egg with oyster mushroom stew and grilled spring onions."
Viktor did not actually have a preference, but he could at least recognise the individual ingredients of that dish. The appetizer had already been brought a few minutes ago and he was still not yet sure what was even put on his plate, let alone which fork to use for it. He had had important dinners before, with very important people even, but this was one part of the etiquette he had never quite managed to do flawlessly.
"Sounds good."
The waitor arrived and they talked about the weather, very nice, and the family, doing good. It wasn't until the main course arrived, Arnoud Tauzin poularde chicken served with fondant winter vegetables and a hint of truffle, that the silence was really broken with an actual conversation.
"You know," Charlie began after finishing his plate, "Fleur had told me she would be the one to meet me here. Not that you aren't an unwelcome surprise, but it wouldn't feel right if I didn't tell you."
Viktor was only slighted surprised at that, Charlie hadn't acted surprised at all. On the other he too had expected Fleur to be there.
"It appears then we both have been played, Fleur had also told me she would meet me here. She knows my dating life is rather non-existent, and with her own happy marriage she surely wanted to have us share in her bliss."
The waitor arrived to ask which dessert they wanted, a decadent Chocolate heart with blood orange gel and cocoa granola for both of them.
Charlie was looking at him as if he could see straight into Viktor's soul, it wasn't entirely unpleasant.
"You know I'm into Dragon's right, even made it my job, would I be correct in guessing you are also into Dragons?"
It was something Viktor had thought for a long time already about the other man, but it was nice to hear the confirmation.
"More or less, yes, it is one of the reasons my dating life is so non-existent at the moment."
The smile that took over Charlie's face at that was blinding.
"Well, in that case I am not at all opposed to doing this again sometime later. Unless you are?"
They shared a smile over their chocolate hearts.
"Not at all indeed."
It turned out, Fleur did know what she was doing when she set them up on a blind date.