Title:"Love Tastes Like This"
Author: lash_larue
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Fleur/Ginny
Summary: If you don't knock on the loo door before entering, you just have to take what's coming to you.
Warnings: Femmesex, language
Word Count: 6800
A/N: This is postwar. The departures from Canon will be evident in the text. Written for an exchange, it is a one-shot.
"Nice flying, Weasley," Gwenog complimented in the locker room after practice, "Join me in the shower?" Ginny grinned at her team Captain.
"Not this time Gwen," Ginny answered, "but feel free to keep trying."
"Count on it, Gin," Gwenog promised as she walked away.
Ginny wasn't in the mood for the raucous atmosphere of the locker room just before the weekend break. She loved her teammates, they were a great bunch of women, but she just didn't feel like being surrounded by boobs, bums, and twats at the moment. She was tired, dirty, and looking forward to a quiet weekend at home alone.
Nearly alone, anyway, Fleur would of course be there, but the French witch was quiet company as she was usually absorbed in her Auror training manuals. The dedication that Fleur had shown in caring for her brother Bill had driven the last bit of "phlegm" from her mind, and the two women had become fairly good friends. And when in spite of all that could be done, Bill had died, and Fleur had resolved to become an Auror and to dedicate her life to preventing and avenging such crimes in the future, the relationship had deepened.
Fleur had become such an integral part of life at the Burrow by then that no one ever considered anything other than that she stay there, and she had taken the room across the hall from Ginny. Over time they had come to rely on one another as someone to be trusted, to be there at need, a warm refuge from the madness of the world.
It came to Ginny that she was closer to Fleur than she had ever been to Hermione or Luna, or indeed anyone. Fleur Delacour was an integral part of her life. "Who would have thought," Ginny asked herself, "that the most beautiful witch in the world and a freckle-faced tomboy would ever be so close?" Ginny had felt no need to speak plainly of this to Fleur, she was sure that Fleur understood. They were comfortable together.
For Fleur, Ginny was a revelation, a source of joy and wonder. Ginny was the first real friend that she had ever had. She was aware that Ginny had not cared for her at first, and Fleur was accustomed to that from women. But Ginny had seen beyond the surface in time, had come to realize that Fleur did not actually set out to seduce every male that she met, and in fact was truly weary of their attentions. Bill had offered her relief from that, for few wizards would wish to contend with him, and Fleur had done her very best by him. Ginny however, liked her, and Fleur felt warm in her company.
"Why don't you ever go out, Fleur?" Ginny asked one evening while the two of them were relaxing in the sitting room. "I'm sure loads of people ask you."
"I might ask the same of you," Fleur countered.
"Yeah, you might. And you may, but answer me first, please. You're far more beautiful than I am; people must be after you all the time."
Fleur decided to ignore the "far more beautiful" argument; she had her own opinion on that score, but she did not feel like getting into it just then. "Very well, when I was younger the attention was beguiling, it made me feel special. But in time it began to wear thin, and I realized that zey were not really interested in me, but in my looks, and there is also the Veela part of me. Even Bill, although I think he did truly love me as much as he could, was affected. I am around people all of zee time at work, powerful people who think that gives them license, arrogant people who think that some modest skill at dueling will impress me and let them get between my legs. Why would I want to spend my free time among them? Here with your family, with you, I can relax and be myself. That is much more important, and much more enjoyable, than being paraded around like a trophy and then being mauled. Being lusted after is no substitute for being liked. Now what of you? You are a famous and beautiful Quidditch star, surely you have your pick of wizards and even witches, n'est ce pas?"
"I never would have thought so before," Ginny began, "but I guess we have a lot in common here. I mean, I'm nowhere near as beautiful as you are, but I am a bit famous, and there is still the whole "Used to date the Chosen One" thing. You're right though, that's not real. This is real, us helping each other, being there for each other, and like you said, just liking each other." Ginny fell silent for a long moment, and Fleur merely watched and waited. And then Ginny did feel the need to say it plainly - "I really do like you, Fleur," Ginny said quietly, "I don't think I could have gotten through everything without you, all of the death, the pain, Harry… I- I can't imagine my life without you in it." She fell silent again, and Fleur rose gracefully from her chair and took a place beside Ginny on the couch, pulling Ginny's head to her shoulder and kissing her forehead.
"Moi aussi, my dear friend Ginny, me too," whispered Fleur. They sat like that for a long while, and when Molly Weasley glanced into the sitting room on her way to bed and saw them she smiled, for she loved them both. Being a mother, Molly had seen the pain in each of them, and she hoped that they could help each other heal.
Months went by, and both Ginny and Fleur were very busy at work, and while they each had other acquaintances, more and more the quiet evenings they were able to spend in each other's company came to be the anchor of their lives. Even without speaking they supported one another, and so subtly over time their lives became interwoven.
Standing in the locker room, hearing the noise, Ginny remembered all of this, and then she remembered something else as well.
This weekend Arthur and Molly were in Romania visiting Charlie, and as Ginny's other brothers had long since moved out, the rambling old house would only have the two of them in residence. All of a sudden Ginny really wanted to be home.
"Screw it," Ginny said aloud as she looked around the locker room, and she Apparated home wearing her dirty practice kit. It had to be washed anyway. So did she, and she made a beeline for the bathroom, her robes half-pulled off and covering her head as she pushed the door open.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as the robes cleared her head.
There in front of her stood Fleur, mother naked and toweling her hair dry. It was difficult to tell who was more surprised. Both women's mouths were open and they were each staring in shock at the other. Ginny's eyes were captured by the jiggling of Fleur's breasts as she numbly continued to towel her hair. For a giddy moment, Ginny thought that Fleur didn't have nipples, but then she noticed that they were merely very pale, like all of Fleur's skin.
Ginny could not tear her eyes from the woman in front of her; she was without flaw or blemish, her skin an unbroken expanse of soft perfection. Ginny felt her eyes drawn downward from Fleur's breasts to the scarcely visible patch of silky hair at the apex of her thighs, the gossamer stuff doing little to conceal the soft parting of her labia.
With a jolt, Ginny realized that she was staring at Fleur's pussy, and her skin bloomed red as she tried to stammer out an apology.
"Shit! Sorry!" Ginny blurted, "I- I mean I should have knocked..."
"My fault," Fleur countered with a shrug that did nothing to calm Ginny down, "I should 'ave locked zee door."
Ginny couldn't think of anything to say, but neither could she seem to move, or to tear her eyes from Fleur.
"If you're going to stay here," Fleur began, "would you close zee door? Zere is a bit of a draft."
Ginny's eyes bulged as she saw Fleur's nipples begin to pucker in the cool draft and she turned and fled, slamming the door behind her.
Fleur continued drying her hair, but her mind was racing. Why had Ginny stared like that, and why was her heart fluttering in her chest?
Ginny meanwhile, had retreated to her room that was hard by the bath, dumped her robes on the floor and then sat on the edge of her bed.
"What the fuck is this?" she demanded of herself. She was almost daily surrounded by nude women. Exceptionally fit nude women at that, and she had never before felt anything other than an honest admiration for a well-toned athlete's body. But this...Fleur...
She had known that Fleur must have a marvelous body, it was apparent in the way she moved, in how she looked in her clothes. But that skin! Ginny had never imagined skin like that to exist, so perfect, so delicate. She thought of her own complexion, either pale or wind-burned skin covered with freckles – next to Fleur she looked like she had dragonpox.
And her breasts… full, and firm, and so beautifully shaped, and crowned with those delicate nipples that hardly seemed to be there at all...
Ginny felt a melting in her center that she had not felt in a very long time, and she had no idea on earth what to do about it, if anything at all. Fleur was her best friend, how could she feel this way?
She was still sitting motionless when there came a tapping at her door.
"Yes?" she called out.
"I just wanted you to know zat I am finished in the bath," Fleur called through the door, "I am going to start dinner, it's all yours."
"Thanks, I'll be down to help in a jiffy," Ginny managed to reply.
"No need to hurry, Molly left plenty for us, it just wants heating up," Fleur countered.
"Well, you're sure the one to do that," Ginny thought in wonder, "Merlin!" Ginny waited a few moments and then finished undressing; she peeked into the hallway, and seeing no one, she went quickly into the bath.
Through the barely opened door of her bedroom, Fleur saw Ginny hurry by. Her mouth went dry, and when the bathroom door closed she moved silently down the hall and descended the stairs to the kitchen. What was happening to her?
The scent of Fleur's soap was still in the air, and the fire that had kindled in Ginny at the sight of the naked blonde flared anew. "Get hold of yourself, Genevra," she commanded sternly. She turned on the shower and stood beneath the flood of hot water with her eyes closed, feeling the tensions of practice, and Fleur, ease a little. She reached for her soap and rubbed the bar on her arms, relishing the feel of it slipping over her skin, until the smell of it snapped her eyes open.
Not her soap. Fleur's. She held the smooth, slick bar beneath her nose and inhaled deeply, the exotic scent filled her senses and brought into startling clarity the image of Fleur standing nude before her, her breasts shaking as she rubbed her hair with the towel. Ginny slowly brought the bar of soap to her own breasts, and rubbed firm circles over them.
The image in her mind panned downward, to the damp silver hair plastered to the soft contours of Fleur's womanhood. Ginny opened her eyes, and there on the bar of soap, so fine as to scarce be seen, was a curl of silver silk. Ginny's breath caught in her chest, and her heart pounded, and the bar of soap slipped over the skin of her stomach and through the patch of ginger curls between her legs and beyond. The picture of Fleur standing before her filled all of Ginny's world, except for the throbbing need between her legs. She shifted her feet, and shuddered as the soap slid over her clit and down her cleft, pressing against her entrance. Ginny rubbed vigorously for a few moments, turning her back to the water so as not to rinse the lather away. She brought the soap to her face and gloried in the thought that this same thing had moments before been on that perfect skin, between those marvelous legs, perhaps even rubbing on...
Ginny slipped two fingers into herself, rubbing the soap on her face and her breasts as the hot water pounded on her back and the picture of Fleur expanded in her thoughts until it was Fleur's slender fingers inside of her, Fleur's thumb on her clit, Fleur's hand squeezing her breast as she clamped down hard and bit off the cry that wanted to explode from her lips as she came, shuddering, in the shower, as the water beat down on her back and the taste of Fleur's soap on her tongue made her believe, just for an instant, that she was tasting something else altogether.
"Ginny is so beautiful," thought Fleur as she set one of Molly's thoughtfully prepared meals in the oven. "Such a wonderful, healthy glow on her complexion , and real color to her skin, too, her nipples are like strawberries. Pretty I may be, but beside her, I am a ghost."
Ginny had carefully rinsed Fleur's bar of soap and then hastily scrubbed up with her own less exotic brand before exiting the shower, throwing on jeans and a t-shirt and hastening downstairs to help Fleur with dinner.
"What's left to do?" she asked.
"You could warm up the bread, I'm just about finished with the salad," Fleur answered, "I already opened some wine to breathe, Maman and Papa sent a lovely case of wine."
"Great," said Ginny as she sliced a loaf of her mother's bread. "How was your week at work?"
"Tiring, I shall be happy when the training is done, it is starting to be rather dull," Fleur explained.
"What are you studying now?"
"Surveillance spells," Fleur replied, "honestly, you would be shocked to realize how many ways zere are of invading someone's privacy. Of course, the use of zese spells is carefully regulated. I would much prefer to simply duel with zee criminals."
"I'm a fan of direct action myself," Ginny admitted, "guess that's why I'm a chaser. Should I go ahead and pour the wine?"
"D'accord, dinner will be ready as soon as the bread is finished."
In a short time the dinner was laid out, and the good, hearty food was served.
"Your mother is a wonderful cook," sighed Fleur as she took another forkful of shepherd's pie, "alas, I am growing fat, eating zis way."
"Not from what I saw, you're not," Ginny blurted, and she turned scarlet. Fleur shrugged.
"Zat is kind of you to say, Ginny," Fleur took a sip of wine and gazed frankly at the other woman. "I wish my skin was like yours, so fresh, so lovely. I am merely transparent." Ginny goggled.
"My skin looks like a beater's glove next to yours," Ginny protested.
"Nonsense, it is marvelous, like strawberries and cream. I spend hours in the sun, trying to get some color in my skin, but no. It is my Veela heritage, my skin is much tougher than it looks, I cannot seem to tan."
"Well, it's not like we get that much sun around here anyway, where do you go?" Ginny asked as she tried to recover.
"On the weekends after lunch I go down to zee lakeside. I study and try to get some color, but at the least it is a lovely place to be. Would you like to join me tomorrow?"
"I burn really easily," Ginny explained, "and I need to go to Harry's tomorrow." Ginny did not mention that the decision to go to Harry's had been finalized at that instant.
"Is there any hope of you and Harry getting back together?" Fleur asked her, and Fleur wondered why that thought made her uneasy.
"No, that's well in the past, but at least we're friends again now. Harry is going to have to work things out on his own."
After the war, Harry had been like a rudderless ship, the purpose that had driven his young life was gone, and finding himself both insanely popular and nearly obscenely wealthy, he had embraced the life of the idle rich with a passion. Ginny had tried to bring him back to earth, but had given up in the face of an unending stream of witches, (and not a few wizards) who would sometimes literally show up nude on Harry's doorstep. Ron had moved in with him at Grimmauld Place and Hermione had given up on both of them in disgust and thrown herself headlong into the pursuit of Elf rights. She traveled extensively and had been seen with Victor Krum on many occasions.
"Sometimes I think we are simply better off without men," Fleur declared as she refilled her glass, "zey are so much trouble."
"I'll drink to that," Ginny agreed.
The wine and the shower had both taken a toll on Ginny, and she went to bed fairly early. Fleur sat quietly in the study for a time and finished the second bottle of wine as she reviewed the evening's events.
"She really is lovely…" thought Fleur, as she put out the lights and started up the stairs, "but she always has been. What 'as changed?" Fleur's dreams were of the look on Ginny's face as she stared at her in the bathroom. Ginny's dreams were of Fleur.
Ginny and Fleur spent some time after breakfast making sure that the house would be as neat as Molly had left it, and then Ginny prepared to leave for Harry's.
"I'll likely have lunch with the boys," Ginny said on her way out of the kitchen door, "someone has to make sure they eat their veggies now and then."
"You are a good sister, Ginny, and a good friend," Fleur told her before she kissed her on each cheek. "I am grateful to 'ave you in my life."
"M- me too," stammered Ginny as her senses reeled, "see you later, Fleur."
"I 'ope so," Fleur replied with a smile.
Ginny rang the bell at Harry's, not surprisingly, the door was opened by a woman.
"Hi, Romilda," Ginny greeted the brunette, "I'm here to see Ron and Harry."
"He's mine now you know," Romilda cautioned her.
"Yeah, sure, have fun while it lasts," Ginny said as she pushed past Romilda. "Oy, you two!"
Harry and Ron appeared in the study doorway, grinning at her.
"Come to save the reprobates, Sis?" asked Ron.
"Nope, that's a lost cause. I'm just making sure you eat something besides crisps and beer. I promised Mum I'd look in on you."
"I had something green for breakfast," Ron promised.
"I'm pretty sure that was a sausage, Ron," Harry countered. Ron shrugged.
"Doesn't that count?" Ron asked.
"You're hopeless," Ginny admitted, "I'm down to my last card, so here goes." She flicked her wand, and there came the distinctive crack of house-elf apparition.
"Meet the new boss, lads," said a grinning Ginny.
"Winky!" exclaimed Ron and Harry together.
"I is glad to see you again, Sirs," Winky told them, "now I is going to set this house in order. Kreacher!" she called as she bustled off down the hallway.
"That's not fair, Gin," protested Harry.
"Bullshit. You can afford her, and you damn sure need her. Don't even pretend that Romilda can cook," Ginny countered.
"Romilda?" asked Harry, "Who's Romilda?" There was an anguished cry followed by the slamming of a door.
"Really Harry," said Ginny seriously, "you need to get a grip. Even Romilda Vane deserves better than that. And you, Ron, it wasn't long ago that you were going steady with your hand. Wake the fuck up, guys. You can't carry on like this forever." Both Ron and Harry had the grace to look at their feet and remain silent, because they knew that she was right.
"We don't know what to do with ourselves now," Harry admitted.
"Well, to start with, the Cannons need a keeper, and Puddlemere's seeker is pathetic. You two might need a while to shake off the rust, but better that than this shit, really," Ginny said plainly. Ron and Harry looked at each other.
"Maybe so, Gin," Harry admitted, "what did we do to deserve someone like you?"
"Not a damn thing, but you can start now. Come on Harry, I need to ask you something," she said as she led the way to the library.
"Here you go Gin," Harry said after they had all enjoyed Winky's excellent lunch. He handed her an untidy bundle, "keep it as long as you like, and 'use it well'."
"I will thanks. Harry, promise me that you and Ron will at least try to get back into life. I mean really find something worth going after, okay?"
"You're right Gin, I know that, and I guess it is about time to grow up just a bit. And thanks for Winky, even Ron was getting scared of the kitchen. What about you? Apart from Quidditch I mean?"
"Bird-watching," Ginny answered as she Apparated home.
"I'm back!" announced Ginny. There was no answer, but there was a sheet of parchment on the table. She went and picked it up.
"Just in case, I left a plate for you in the fridge, and there is a lovely white wine open as well. I am at the lake, join me if you wish – Fleur"
Of a sudden Ginny felt thirsty and she grabbed the bottle of wine from the fridge. It was about half-full, and Ginny decided that a glass would merely get in the way. After a few deep swallows, she removed the covered plate from the fridge and looked at the lunch that Fleur had left for her. A chicken sandwich cut on the diagonal as Ginny liked, and a serving of the pasta salad that Fleur made.
Ginny's throat grew thick as she stared at the plate, and she carefully replaced it and closed the door. Fleur was always doing little things like this for her, always concerned, always caring. She headed slowly for her room, taking the occasional sip from the bottle of wine as she tried to process the storm of emotions raging within her.
Okay, so she had stumbled upon Fleur naked, and been impressed. Big deal, Fleur was Fleur, she would impress a rock. She had masturbated with Fleur's soap while thinking of her, all the while quite aware of the silken curl embedded in the soap.
That was a bit harder to pass over.
And now here she was, scarcely able to breathe as she polished off the wine, staring at the invisibility cloak she had gone to Harry's to borrow, unable to think of anything whatsoever other than Fleur trying to get some sun by the lake, and how very sweet of Fleur it had been to prepare the plate for her.
She dropped the empty bottle, wrapped the cloak about herself, and Apparated to the far side of the lake. Ginny moved carefully through the woods, and years of sneaking 'round her older brothers had made her stealthy indeed.
Fleur was lying on her side on a blanket, wearing a really small bikini and reading from one of her textbooks when the spell tickled her. She knew that meant that Ginny had read the note. Fleur was still in training, but she was in a very elite program indeed. Counterintelligence Aurors were at the very top of the profession, and Fleur was at the top of her class. She waited patiently for the younger woman to appear.
"Damn, she's beautiful," Ginny admitted to herself as she settled into the bushes across the small lake from Fleur. She dared a small non-verbal charm to enhance her distance vision, and settled her gaze on the recumbent blonde across the water. Fleur slowly turned the pages of her book, absorbed in it.
The longer she waited with no word from Ginny, the more disappointed she became.
She was no fool however, and she thought once again of the look on Ginny's face in the bathroom. That had been desire, Fleur was certain of it, and rather than make her feel weary that knowledge kindled a flame deep within Fleur.
Time passed, far beyond the time it would have taken for Ginny to join her, had she intended to. "Well then, ma petite rouge, perhaps another time then, n'est ce pas?" Fleur thought as she rose to a sitting position...
"Come on Fleur, you don't want to get an uneven tan, do you…" wished Ginny. She had lost track of how long she had been watching Fleur study, completely captivated by the sight of her. Fleur set her book aside, and sat up.
Fleur stretched and yawned, arching her back, and Ginny's breathing deepened. Fleur threw her head back, running her fingers through her silver hair.
"She is a Goddess…" breathed Ginny as she dropped to her knees in the bushes.
Fleur removed her top and lay down on her back, and in a few moments Fleur's hands began a slow exploration of her body, finally cupping her breasts and teasing the slightly puffy, very pale nipples erect.
"Fuck…" breathed Ginny as her own hand slipped into the waistband of her jeans, popping the snap on the way.
Fleur's legs shifted languidly apart, and her right hand slid down over the softness of her stomach and down the skin of her thigh, only to drag those carefully manicured nails back up the inside of her thigh, leaving faint red marks on the flawless skin.
"Oh, fuck..." moaned Ginny as Fleur's graceful fingers slid her suit bottom down her legs and off. She spread them apart again, exposing the silver hair and the reddening lips to Ginny's eager eyes.
"Yesss..." hissed Fleur softly as her fingers traced her throbbing folds, feeling the blossoming damp. Fleur slowly slid her hands down either side of her parting and massaged the soft lips, feeling them swell to the touch while in her mind she saw red hair and freckles
"Oh, FUCK!" gasped Ginny as Fleur slid a finger inside of herself, and began to move her hips. A second finger joined the first, and Ginny followed Fleur's lead, all the while drinking in the sight before her. There was a ringing in Ginny's ears as she saw Fleur's body tense, her legs trembling. A shudder rippled through Fleur, and her bottom came up off the blanket.
Fleur cried out as she clamped down fiercely on her fingers and flooded the blanket with her orgasm. The delicate skin of her body flushed with color as she came.
"Fu-" wheezed Ginny as she shuddered and slumped to the ground gasping for breath.
Fleur dressed and moved off towards the burrow, leaving behind the blanket and a book. She still felt aroused, and her mind was elsewhere as she ran lightly through the trees.
Ginny's eyes opened, and her heart fell when she saw that Fleur was gone. But she had left things behind, and after observing for a long minute Ginny straightened her clothing and moved around the lake. She called Fleur's name as she approached, having removed the cloak as she walked. She would simply pretend that she had just arrived if Fleur should show up. But there was no answer to her calls, and she could not see Fleur anywhere. There were however a blanket and a book with a long blade of grass between the pages. The blanket was ruffled, and there was a large dark spot on it. Ginny sat beside the spot on the blanket and picked up the book. She turned to the marked page.
"Specialis Fenestra Palam... This is one of the most sophisticated surveillance spells, creating a window overlooking the subject. The spell may be cast on any object, a book being the typical choice for discretion. The spell is cast on an interior page and from then on that page will show the subject wherever they may be, but only to the caster. This is a level one restricted spell, and it requires an authorized wand to cast it. The incantation is fairly simple, a standard left-to right wand motion combined with the incantation 'Specialis Fenestra Palam X' where X is the subject's name. It is further required to picture the subject firmly in one's mind whilst casting the spell, so as to properly key the spell to the subject."
"Well, that's out I guess," Ginny said aloud, "my wand isn't authorized." She leaned back to read more, and her hand landed in the dark place on the blanket.
Fleur opened the fridge and saw that the wine was gone and that the plate had been moved. She called aloud for Ginny, and receiving no answer she headed up the stairs. Ginny's door was open, and the now-empty bottle was lying on the bed. Ginny was not in the bathroom either, and Fleur wondered where she was. She went to her room and opened one of her textbooks, took out her wand, and whispered an incantation.
"Oh, God, it's her," Ginny moaned as her fingers trailed through the slick damp. She pressed her fingers firmly to the blanket and then raised them shining to the sun. She spread her fingers and the thick wetness webbed shimmering between them. Ginny stared, entranced, and then slowly brought the shining fingers to her mouth.
OhGod" she gasped as the heady taste washed over her senses. In a sort of daze, she rubbed her face on the blanket, "ohGod, ohGod, ohGod," she panted as the crisp, clean, scent overwhelmed her. "OH, GOD!" she cried as she thrust her sticky fingers deep inside herself while she drank in the smell of Fleur from the blanket.
"Mon Dieu…"gasped Fleur, as she stared into the window she had conjured in the privacy of her room. There was Ginny, her hand on the dark place on the blanket, Fleur felt a deep throbbing in her core, and when Ginny drew her shining fingers into her mouth and then pressed her face to the blanket Fleur came again without even touching herself.
"ohGod" they whispered unawares to each other as they trembled, "oh. God..."
Ginny came to her senses with a start, suddenly afraid that Fleur would return; she looked around carefully, and saw nothing. She knew that she should leave, Fleur was bound to return for her book and her blanket, but she could not resist thumbing quickly through the book.
One of the spells caught her eye, and she read it eagerly...
"Perspicuus Parietis – This is a basic spell, and of little use in counterintelligence surveillance. The spell simply renders a portion of a wall transparent from the caster's side of the wall. It necessitates being in close proximity to the subject, and is relatively easy to detect and counter. It is really more suited to jokesters and voyeurs than Aurors. Nonetheless, it is worth knowing."
There followed the directions for the spell, and Ginny guiltily memorized them. She did the best that she could to leave things as she had found them, and then headed home through the woods by a different path than Fleur had taken.
After recovering from the sight of Ginny on her blanket, Fleur quickly stripped off her clothes and put them in the hamper, there were one bathing suit and robe that were headed to the wash. She went across the hall to the bath and carefully locked the door before stepping into the shower.
What, if anything, should she do next, she wondered. She could hardly get angry at Ginny for watching her, if that is what she had done, because she had left a hole in the wards, and after all, she had used a spell to see Ginny. And while she had not really expected to see anything like what she had seen, she hadn't looked away. She couldn't have looked away. Further, she admitted to herself, she had not wanted to look away.
Ginny arrived at the Burrow still flushed, and more than a little sweaty, she looked in the sitting room for Fleur, having already determined that she was not in the kitchen and when she did not find her Ginny went upstairs, fully intending to have a quick shower. She was about halfway up the steps when she heard the water running. She gently tried the door and found it locked, and went on to her room.
Ginny stared at the wall, knowing what was on the other side of it, and the spell she had memorized tempted her. "No," she told herself firmly, "that would be carrying things too far, if I haven't already. I can't even believe that I did what I did."
But she knew beyond all doubt that she would do it again if the opportunity arose.
The water stopped flowing, and a few minutes later Ginny heard Fleur's bedroom door close. She dumped her clothes in her hamper, threw on a robe, and went into the shower. The smell of Fleur's soap overwhelmed her. Subtle as it was, the scent went straight to her groin.
"Merlin's drawers, I just can't be getting turned on again. It's not possible," she complained in her mind.
In her bedroom Fleur hesitated, and then opened the book, Ginny's face looked at her from the page. She looked worried, and her face was red. Fleur watched as she hung her robe on a peg and then turned on the shower and stepped into it.
Ginny made sure to get her own soap this time, but this time she had no need to imagine the taste that lingered in her mouth. It was Fleur, and it was intoxicating. Slowly the soap slid down to a very tender place, and while Ginny's mind played back the images and the tastes and the sensations of the lakeside her body responded like the finely tuned instrument that it was.
"Mon Dieu…" Fleur breathed as she stared at the image on the page. Her heart hammered, and it never crossed her mind that what she was doing was wrong. It was simply imperative; she would sooner stop breathing than look away. Fleur did not touch herself, because what she was feeling was not mere desire.
What Fleur was feeling, was love.
"Hi," Ginny greeted her later when Fleur came down to the kitchen. "Thanks for the lunch; I'd already eaten at Harry's so I just got around to eating it while I started dinner. Your pasta salad is great!"
"I missed you at the lake," Fleur told her. Ginny blushed faintly.
"Yeah, I guess I was too late, I went down there when I got back, but you had already left. Oh, I saw your blanket and book there, I left them because I thought you might be going back, but you were in the shower when I got here. Shall I go and fetch them?" The offer had been automatic, but Ginny had to bite her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Non, I accioed them back," Fleur told her, "I was a bit – preoccupied, when I left."
"I'll say," thought Ginny, and she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. "I'm making bouillabaisse," Ginny said quickly by means of changing the subject, "I know it won't be as good as yours, but I wanted to surprise you."
"You did," Fleur said simply.
"Oh shit" thought Ginny. "Would you come and taste this and see what it needs," Ginny asked, and her flush deepened.
Fleur said nothing at all, but came and took the spoon from Ginny and tasted the soup.
"It's perfect," Fleur announced, "I never tasted anything better."
"I am going to die," Ginny thought. "Would you like a salad with it?" Ginny asked.
"No, just you – I mean, just this," stammered Fleur feeling her own face flame.
Ginny dropped the bowl she had been carrying. Grateful of the distraction, Fleur repaired the bowl and levitated it to the sideboard.
"I'll get the bread, your Mother made a sourdough loaf that will be perfect with this. Would you care for wine with dinner?"
"God yes," Ginny said fervently. That brought a small smile to Fleur's lips, and Ginny's heart tripped at the sight of it.
"Cliodna's Knickers…" Ginny thought, "I'm in love."
Both women ate hugely, the rich soup appealing to both of them. As Fleur had said, the bread was perfect with it, as was the wine.
"I think I'll look into hiring a house-elf for Mum," Ginny speculated, "I know she'll say that she doesn't want the help, but I bet she would once she tried it."
"Marvelous idea," Fleur agreed, "please allow me to help with the salary. Of course, not just any house-elf will do."
"No, you're right there, I'll ask Winky for a recommendation, and you're welcome to contribute. I guess we're kind of the only kids Mum has left now. My folks really love you, you know."
"I do indeed, and I love zem," Fleur answered as she looked searchingly at Ginny. Ginny swallowed audibly.
"Did you get some sun?" Ginny asked Fleur, and she instantly regretted the question.
"I had a nice time, but as I said, I do not tan. I'm going again tomorrow, would you like to come with me?" Fleur blushed this time.
"I can't stand this," Ginny decided. "Fleur, I – I h-have a confession to make," Ginny stammered.
"Yes? What is it, I'm sure it can't be too bad," Fleur smiled at her, and Ginny's heart was wrung with fear.
"I was at the lake today, I used Harry's invisibility cloak and I watched you. I'll understand if you don't want to be around me anymore, Fleur. I'll leave and you can stay here. Just please don't tell Mum and Dad what I did, please…" Ginny pleaded.
"Ginny dearest, invisibility cloak or no, do you think that you could have watched me if I didn't allow you to? You know what I am, I was not sure that you were there, but I think now a part of me hoped zat you were. And as long as we are making confessions, I should tell you that I saw you too. On my blanket."
"What? How? On your blanket! You mean when I – oh dear God." Ginny hid her face in her hands, absolutely overcome with shame.
"I also watched you in the shower this afternoon," Fleur admitted. Ginny raised her head up and stared at Fleur.
"Why?" Ginny asked numbly.
"I could not stop myself," Fleur admitted, "are you angry?"
"Me? No, I'm confused, but not angry. I mean, after what you saw me do on that blanket… Fleur, I know how you feel about people lusting after you, and what I did…"
"Ginny, what you did was beyond lust, it was want, and need. You wanted me, you wanted Fleur Isabelle Delacour, not zee Veela, not zee body or zee face, but me! You truly know me, and you still wanted me, and there is nothing more 'me' than what you laid your face in. I tremble to think of it. Tell me-" Fleur hesitated, and took a deep breath, and then she looked straight into Ginny's eyes and held them, "tell me, what did you think when you tasted me?"
Ginny drew in a deep breath of her own, swallowed, and answered truthfully, "I thought 'love tastes like this,' but..."
"There are no 'buts'," Fleur said calmly, "there are only the questions. Do you want me? Face to face, in front of zee world? Do you love me?"
"I do," Ginny said passionately.
"Zen I think that you should kiss me, n'est ce pas? For I love you as well."
Ginny leaned across the table, and their lips softly met.
"We will take zis slowly, d'accord?" Fleur asked Ginny.
"Anything you say," agreed Ginny, unable to stop smiling. "I won't try and kiss you again until you say so."
"Zat is not what I meant by 'slowly', Ginevra my love. We have all night and all day tomorrow alone together. If we do not take things slowly, we may die," Fleur explained with a smile.
"I'll take my chances," Ginny said as she leaned in for another kiss, "some things are worth dying for."
"Love tastes like this…" they both thought.