Fleur wasn't paying attention to the game and that cost her a few points. Even Hermione left her room to find Fleur on the couch. The brunette checked Fleur's temperature in half a joke, half concerned action. It wasn't like Fleur to be so quiet during a game. She was expressive; she would fight every point and laugh harder than everyone else.
"You okay, love?" Hermione asked with a soft voice, her fingers brushing some blond hair off Fleur's face. "You don't seem like yourself tonight. We can leave for another day. I think Harry and Neville would appreciate the chance to win."
Fleur shook her head. She wasn't going to stop playing because she had a plan and she needed to be playing for it.
"I'm fine. I guess I'm not really paying attention."
Hermione wasn't convinced. Fleur was nervous, she could tell. Her blond hair was messy because Fleur wouldn't stop running her fingers through it. Blue eyes were trying to avoid brown ones and certainly, Fleur was anxious. She was shifting awkwardly on her seat trying to find a comfortable position to no avail.
However, Hermione knew better than to push her lover for an answer. Sometimes it was hard for Fleur to express her feelings. If something was bothering her, Fleur would reach towards her lifetime mate. So, Hermione left her on her own after kissing her forehead and brushing a few strands of rebel hair that refused to stay on place. Fleur smiled softly and caressed Hermione's cheek only for a moment before the brunette could leave the room.
"Hermione?" Fleur called when her mate was taking her leave. "You know I love you, right?"
That question confirmed what Hermione had been thinking. Fleur used to ask her that when she was doubting herself and needed reassurance that no matter what happened, Hermione would never leave her. When Fleur was so anxious that she forgot Hermione was her mate and they were only meant for each other. It wasn't common to see Fleur so vulnerable and afraid, but it was a reminder that no one was able to stay strong forever at it was okay.
"I know. I love you too, Belle."
Luna Lovegood knew why Fleur was so nervous but she wasn't going to tell Hermione about it or the surprise would be ruined otherwise. Fleur wasn't anxious due to work, doubts about Hermione's love or her own. She was extremely nervous because she was going to take a step that could change the rest of her life. It will change her life.
"Hey, lovebirds! You've been skipped this round." Ron interrupted and it snapped the couple out of their daze. "Are we going to keep playing or should we leave both of you alone?"
Hermione chuckled and hurried back to her room while threatening Ronald to kick his ass when they were face to face.
Cancel all my meetings. We've got a situation with _ that requires my immediate attention.
Sadly, Fleur wasn't going to get any more points this round since she was the Card Czar. The cards displayed were funny but her girlfriend's, and she was sure it was Hermione's, made her face palm before bursting with laughter until tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Hermione followed soon enough.
"What's so funny?" Ginny said with a frown as she didn't understand a joke that was private.
A very attractive werewolf.
When did it happen? Back at their first date. It wasn't something truly planned. Just another Saturday when Hogwarts' students were allowed to visit the near town. Fleur never went back at her seventh year so she decided to take the chance in company of Hermione. It was a nice day, a little cold but not so bad to be an Autumn day. They went to drink some butter beer at the Three Broomsticks before going to Honeydukes. They tried every candy they wanted until both of them were stuffed with the sweet treats. When they got out, both decided to take a walk. And then...both women were mesmerized by the same person.
Long dark hair. Cute eyebrows. Bright eyes that were almost hypnotic and her arms were muscular, not bulky. They were covered with magnificent tattoo art that highlighted the strength hidden beneath smooth skin. She was a very attractive woman and half the people on the street were ogling at her. She just smiled and then, the whole Hogsmade was there, trying to talk to her. Trying to get her number. Just saying stupid things and for a moment, Fleur and Hermione thought she was a Veela. Fleur denied the fact, she wasn't completely human but she wasn't a Veela.
Said girl growled at something brushing her cheek. That something was white and fluffy that would go away after a growl just to come back a few moments later. She would even turn on her heels to stare at the person behind her but the tickling sensation was still on her cheeks and neck no matter how many times she did this. In one of those turns, Fleur and Hermione saw what that white fluffy thing was.
Apparently the girl caught a glimpse too. She stood still for a moment until she felt the soft brush against her cheek. She turned only her face this time and her eyes went wide with surprise and unrestrained excitement.
"Look!" She squealed like a child. "It's a tail!"
A moment later she was running in circles trying to catch her own fluffy, white tail.
All Hogsmade was there, watching a very attractive werewolf chasing her own tail in the middle of the street. Everyone was silent, trying to understand what the hell was happening. A beautiful creature was unable to understand that the fluffy, chewable thing was a part of her own body and once she was able to hold it with both hands, she was gnawing on the white fur. It lasted a few seconds before the thing went off to tickle at the other side of her face making her run in endless circles once again. The cycle went the same way again and again.
Hermione was impressed when the act kept going nonstop for half an hour.
"Oh, my God. Wolfy! Come back here." Another voice shouted out of nowhere startling the audience before Fleur had to dodge a large fishbot that hit the werewolf rather hard.
She only gasped in surprise and took her leave with the words "What are those?" before disappearing quickly out of the street. Silence was left in her place. A few pair of eyes followed her movements until she was no longer visible.
Everyone was stunned and speechless until Hermione moved her hand to tickle Fleur's cheek. Yes, Fleur Delacour growled back. All people laughed included the Veela and Hermione. When they were back at Hogwarts, both women wondered if the entire Hogsmade stopped their current activities just to watch the werewolf. For a moment, there was nothing more important than the spectacle presented in the middle of the street.
It was a funny moment; the memory gave Hermione that point.
It was Hermione's turn to be the judge and when she read the black card she gulped and shook her head. The brunette tried to read her girlfriend's face to know if Fleur had the perfect card to drive Hermione insane. However, Fleur had a poker face in place, ironically she was pretty bad at poker, but Cards Against Humanity was just her thing.
In LGTBQA+ what does the B stand for?
Hermione knew that if Fleur had the right card, she was going to use it so, for the first time of the night; Hermione hoped that Fleur didn't win. It wasn't an awfully wrong card nor was it offensive. There were no bad memories attached to the card but it would surely make Hermione groan and perhaps slam her head on the desk. However, when the brunette read the cards, that one was there. When Hermione looked at Fleur through the screen, her girlfriend had a ten thousand watts smile on her lips that only served to infuriate Hermione.
Bees?
Just as said, Hermione groaned. She tried so hard not to pick Fleur's card. She read the rest of cards and fight against her instinct to choose her lover's one but it was impossible when the rest were blatantly boring. Besides, it was the only one that actually started with a B. Hermione sighed when she remembered the first time she tried to explain the muggle society to her blonde partner and with that went the knowledge about the LGTBQA+ community.
At first, Hermione was amazed with Fleur's brilliant mind. The French witch had no trouble at all when it was about Gays, Lesbians, Transsexuals, even Asexuals, but then, time to Bisexual was there and Hermione made a mistake. She used the shortened name for them and they were "bi people". That really confused Fleur.
The blonde even tried to clear the subject asking Hermione if those persons were "bees", Hermione wasn't looking at her girlfriend in that moment being distracted by a foreign sound so, the poor witch only answered affirmative without noticing Fleur's confusion. She also missed the cute expression of a lost puppy.
At Hermione's response, Fleur turned from confused to terrified. She was fine with protecting bees. Those small creatures were extremely important for the world and there was a hive in the Delacour's manor. Deep in the gardens, in the only zone of the house where Fleur wasn't allowed. Fleur expressed her discomfort with "bee" people and said firmly that she didn't have any desire to be close to one. Those words took Hermione by surprise, the price to pay for not paying attention to her girlfriend a moment ago. Hermione was hurt for a second because she considered herself as bisexual. For Merlin's sake! Fleur probably was bisexual too. She was married to William Weasley after all.
Every ounce of hurt left the brunette when Fleur explained how allergic she was. The blonde started babbling nonsense along the lines of what "bee" people were. Were they a giant bee? Were they a conjunct of them wearing a human skin? Now that was creepy but it was the magic world where everything was possible. The thought only scared Fleur even more. She stood up from her comfortable place in Hermione's lap to pace the room frantically. She was getting nervous because she was never aware of that fact and what if she bothered someone who was bee? Would she have to run as fast as possible to their house? (Hers and Hermione's not to the bee's house. That would be stupid.) or would they spare her life? Would they understand she was allergic and that she meant no wrong? That's what she hoped for.
When Hermione finally understood, she started laughing almost hysterically. She laughed until her sides ached and tears had formed in the corner of her eyes. She laughed until her face was red, her hair out of place and her really mad girlfriend looking at her with the coldness of a glacial. That was the thing that cut her laughter short.
It took Hermione a couple of failed tries and a night on the couch, to really explain what it was all about. In the end, Fleur learned about bisexuality and their no direct relationship with the flying bees. That calmed the blonde enough to go out without looking everywhere to avoid a bee. Of course Hermione had to prank her with a buzzing sound that sent Fleur on edge for the rest of the day and Hermione to the couch for the rest of the week.
Perhaps thanks to Fleur's distraction or because Neville was playing pretty well, he was a point away from victory. He was excited about it. Neville rarely won at this game. No one really stood a chance when the blonde was completely in it. Even if she had won a couple points in the latest rounds, she seemed distracted. Neville was about to turn into a CAH hero. Just one more round. The right card and he would be the Alpha of this pack.
Step one: A good black card.
What's a girl best friend?
Step two: The perfect white card.
Boobs.
Step three: Ginny laughing loudly and hitting her brother's face in the process.
Step four: Victory was his for the First Time in Forever and he would never Let It Go. It was a Perfect Day and he had, if only for a moment, something like a Frozen Fever. No one could blame him.
