A/N- There are going to be flashbacks in chapter 7 and beyond (yeah I'm that far ahead) to further explain things and highlight growing relationships and whatnot. Just wanted to say that if you think I'm not properly developing relationships or explaining events I'm using flashbacks to highlight events since I prefer to do it that way for this story since I have so many characters I'm juggling and needing to explain their reasons behind their actions.
Thanks for all the reviews and for enjoying the story! I'm glad I surprised so many of you by making Draco a champion :D As I was reading reviews for chapters 1 & 2 I was hopeful no one saw what was coming and apparently no one did! Hermione and Fleur's interaction is highly craved among you so it's showing up here (just a little, more to come in Chapter 7). Now to clarify Fleur is still part-Veela, not full like Hermione. She understands being a Veela more but most of the things like the lust and whatnot are more subtle for Fleur since she's only part-Veela. I haven't yet decided if her mother will be full like her grandmother or not which will dictate how much of the Veela powers she has. I will have her able to transform but I think it'll be more difficult for her than for someone with full Veela powers/blood/whatever.
The next day at breakfast Harry and Hermione arrived early to get good seats. They wanted to see how people reacted to Draco. Durmstrang entered and much to their surprise Viktor Krum sat down next to Harry, "You are Harry Potter and Hermy-own-knee yes?"
"Hermione Granger," Hermione automatically corrected. "Yes we are."
"Cedric says you no like blonde twit."
Harry choked on his tea. Hermione cleared his airways with her wand, "No we don't. He's quite rude and bigoted."
"Da. He vas very rude last night," Krum said. "I am Viktor Krum. Ees pleasure to meet you."
"Harry Potter," Harry said, shaking the offered hand, "Hermione's my girlfriend."
Hermione accepted Krum's hand as well, "It's very nice to meet you. We saw you play at the World Cup. Harry was impressed with your moves. He's a seeker too."
"Da? Maybe we go fly sometime yes?" Harry was surprised but accepted the offer. Hermione smiled. Then Krum spoke, "Do you mind if we sit here for meals?"
"Go right ahead," Hermione said.
Fleur Delacour entered and noticed Viktor sitting with two people. One who was a Veela. That meant that she knew that Fleur was part-Veela. Hmmm. Hogwarts was suddenly far more interesting. Fleur walked toward them, "Excusez moi. You are one oui?"
"Oui," Hermione said, "You are as well."
The blonde smiled, "I am Fleur Delacour. Eet ees a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Hermione Granger. This is my boyfriend and mate Harry Potter." Fleur had to give the girl credit. She didn't dance around the bush and while it was said in a matter-of-fact tone there was no hidden anger or overprotectiveness. Fleur exchanged the traditional French greeting with Hermione, kissing both cheeks.
Harry returned the same having seen his lover do it. "Would you like to join us?"
Fleur nodded her head, "Oui, thank you."
"Has Malfoy insulted you yet?"
"I insulted him," Fleur smiled, "I called him a 'leetle boy' and that seemed to make him angry."
Harry and Hermione laughed. Harry collected himself to ask, "Did he threaten you with 'wait until my father hears about this'?"
"He did when your headmaster asked him eef he asked someone to enter his name."
"He threatened the headmaster," Hermione said. "I can actually see him doing that."
"Wonder what daddy dearest will do," Harry said. "The contract is binding right?"
"Oui. Our headmistress wished to leave but I 'ave to compete," Fleur said. Viktor nodded his agreement as he put some bacon on his plate. "'Ermione do you zink you could 'elp me wiz the library? I am sure eet is different zan ze one at 'ome."
"Sure," Hermione nodded.
Harry slid an arm around Hermione, "She practically lives in the library. She could probably tell you every book in it." Hermione blushed but smiled.
When the others came in the Gryffindors were surprised. The twins were eager to sit near Fleur but Ginny quickly flanked the other side of the blonde. The boys moved to the other side of the table since Krum was sitting on the end next to Harry. The couple introduced the two champions and Gryffindor immediately decided that if Hermione didn't have a problem with the beautiful blonde sitting near her boyfriend then they wouldn't either. Harry and Hermione kept her being a Veela pretty secret. Not out of shame but out of having people like Malfoy open their mouths. Hermione was pretty certain she'd end up killing some idiot by turning into a harpy if they knew and began to try to, pardon the pun, ruffle her feathers.
When Ron entered his eyes bugged out at Krum sitting at the Gryffindor table. Then he saw that he was sitting next to Harry and they were laughing about something and his jealousy flared. Potter had a girlfriend, was talking and laughing with THE Viktor Krum…and then Ron saw the beautiful blonde sitting between Hermione and Ginny. For the first time it occurred to him what not having Harry and Hermione as friends anymore cost him. He could have been over there right now. Maybe he could get close to them if he forgave them for becoming a couple.
The real sight was Draco Malfoy entering the hall. The Hufflepuff table all booed him and the Ravenclaws did too. Most of Gryffindor followed suit while the Slytherins remained silent. Draco sat down at the Slytherin table and saw Krum sitting with Potter. His glare narrowed. That French bitch was sitting and laughing with the mudblood. His father would take care of the disrespect she'd shown him last night. His family owl arrived and Draco read the letter:
Draco,
The contract is binding. You're in the tournament to the end. Make sure to do us proud. As for Ms. Delacour…her father is the French Minister of Magic. Don't you dare do anything to upset her. After Potter I thought you learned to be polite first but apparently I was wrong. Your mother and I will be up to view the first task in November. We look forward to seeing you do well.
Good luck,
Your father
Draco was incredulous. His father wasn't going to punish her? But she had mocked him! He looked at Pansy, "I have decided to compete."
"Why didn't you tell me you were entering Draco?" Pansy asked, sounding hurt.
The self-proclaimed blonde prince of Slytherin didn't like admitting he didn't know something. He decided to go on the attack, "You aren't exactly subtle Pansy."
Pansy's eyes narrowed. When she was little being betrothed to Draco Malfoy had seemed exciting. As she got older she realized Draco was a spoiled little whiner. Draco being in this tournament would probably be embarrassing. She didn't want to be his betrothed when he humiliated himself. After all, if her betrothed proved to be the idiot he was thought to be then she would be embarrassed and the subject of endless taunting. A trip to the owlery would be happening before lunch.
Harry went flying with Viktor that morning while Fleur and Hermione went to the library and talked. Harry was pretty surprised by the offer but greatly enjoyed flying over the quidditch pitch together. The twins threw golf balls for them to catch and Harry learned several things from the older boy. Harry was impressed with how easily Krum moved in the air given his bulk. It was a very informative morning, learning tips and tricks he'd never thought of before.
In the entrance hall as he re-entered the castle he found Hermione waiting for him. "Miss me?"
She tilted her head in thought before smiling, "I suppose I did. Sort of," she teased.
Harry gently kissed her, "I had fun. Did you?"
"Fleur is very interesting," she nodded. "I'm going to help her with her English and she'll help me with my French."
"I need a shower before lunch. Krum gave me some great advice," he slid his hand into hers as they walked back up to the tower together.
It was as they were exiting the tower to go to lunch that Ron stopped them, "I forgive you."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, confused. "Forgive us for what?" Harry asked.
"For dating each other," Ron answered as though the answer was obvious. "So we can be friends again."
Hermione looked at Harry before speaking, "So let me understand this. You believe that we stopped being friends solely because you were mad at us for being a couple."
"Obviously. You're supposed to be smart Herms."
She bristled at that nickname and Harry pulled her to him, "Did you wonder if we forgave you?"
"For what? I'm the one who was wronged!"
Deciding to let Ron's desire to be the victim go, Harry pressed on, "You have been cruel and vicious to Hermione the past three years. You nearly cost her her life and you've never once apologized. You seem to enjoy sniping at us both lately and quite frankly, Ron, I've outgrown you. Hermione and I are a couple but you don't respect that. You instead saunter up like you're entitled to her and her feelings and mine are irrelevant. We aren't friends Ron. Not until you apologize to Hermione."
Ron's famous temper was flaring up, "For what?"
"Nearly getting her killed, being a git to her, bullying her into doing your homework," Harry began, "the list goes on. Oh and Ron, I'm well aware you only want to be friends because you heard I went flying with Viktor Krum today. Now then, I'm off to lunch with my girlfriend." With that Harry and Hermione walked down to the Great Hall, leaving a stunned Ron Weasley behind.
When they entered the Great Hall Parvati pulled Hermione aside, "Pansy broke up with Draco!"
"Really? Why would she do that?"
"He's Draco Malfoy," Parvati reminded her.
"Right, dumb question," Hermione nodded. "I guess I should have asked why now?"
"Apparently he insulted her this morning and it was just the last straw."
Hermione glanced at the Slytherin table. Draco had never been popular outside his house. He was obnoxious and a bully. It'd be interesting to see if Slytherin embraced him being a champion. She had the sneaking suspicion they wouldn't. She sat down next to Harry who slid an arm around her, "What was that about?"
"Gossip," she answered. Harry smirked and resumed putting food on his plate.
Draco Malfoy had not had a good morning. His godfather refused to help and pointed out that the champions were to prepare on their own. Despite Draco's whining Snape steadfastly refused and informed him there would be no help coming from him. Then Pansy broke up with him. Draco was disgusted with the world turning against him and thus going off to his two goons, er-friends, about how they were all turning against him and the pureblood cause. They nodded along while their leader glared at everyone he could.
The only professors who knew anything about the tasks were Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Moody. The other professors were kept in the dark. Snape didn't mind that. He didn't particularly care to know anyway. Sports and competitions had never appealed to the greasy-haired man. Intellect was more important. That was why he had respect for Granger. Her only interest in quidditch was her boyfriend. If Potter didn't play, she wouldn't attend the matches. She probably wouldn't even have bothered to learn about it. It didn't matter that the student body was ravenous for the sport. Peer pressure had never swayed her. There was something to respect about that. Two of his Slytherin fourth years, Zabini and Greengrass, had Ancient Runes and Arithmancy with Granger. Both had received help from her. In exchange the purebloods were happy to answer questions about things like house elves that she had.
The magical world really didn't lend itself to embrace half-bloods and muggleborns raised outside of it. Without Lucius in his youth Severus Snape would have been as lost as Granger was. Potter too, for that matter. The Weasleys certainly didn't teach them things that they needed to know. Most purebloods didn't grasp how different the outside world was and so to them moving pictures and using your wand to cook and clean were commonplace; explaining such things was impossible for them as a result.
He poured himself a glass of firewhiskey. Time with Draco often led to drinking. When the boy had entered Hogwarts Lucius had sent him six bottles. They were well-deserved. Lately Draco had taken to wanting Severus to flunk Potter and Granger. He was of the opinion that his grades must be superior. However this year Potter's grades had improved in all of his classes. He'd gone from an A in Potions to an E. If he continued on the track he was on Snape could imagine him getting an O by the end of the year. His other grades were also higher; he'd moved up to an O in Charms and an E in Transfiguration. Potter seemed to have his mother's aptitude for Potions and Charms. It was impressive to watch him improve under his girlfriend's watch.
Watching the young couple he was reminded of James and Lily. When the two had become a couple James had been found in the library often, reading at Lily's table. His grades had improved and his participation in class had begun to win points rather than lose them. It seemed that in that regard history was repeating itself. Harry was doing better in class and his homework was improved a great deal.
The school week began with no real fanfare. A few Hufflepuffs got a few Ravenclaws to make badges that read, "Support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts Champion." Harry thought it was a good idea and Hermione and the twins created buttons that would rotate the names of the three champions to give them an equal amount of time. They sold out of them quickly, especially when Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur all bought one each. Being sold for six sickles each, and with help from Harry and Hermione, the twins soon had made a good deal of money. All of the visiting schools' students bought one and Gryffindor en masse did too, swiftly followed by Ravenclaw and almost all of Hufflepuff. Those that created the first badges were loathe to admit theirs were inferior. That changed when Colin took the three Champions' pictures and Hermione and George worked out how to put the pictures into the buttons similar to a muggle electronic scoreboard. That addition was an upgrade for two sickles and people happily paid it. The twins made sure to give a portion of the profits to Harry and Hermione for their effort, and Colin made one sickle per upgrade sold for his work on the pictures.
Harry and Hermione took their knowledge of muggle things to help the twins think up products, including how to make moving action figures. The twins didn't have any made yet but were happy to say that thanks to the couple they knew exactly how to do it.
Hermione finally told a few more people about her being a Veela and was accepted easily; the realization that Veela could have relationships was surprising to the few they told before Hermione conceded they could be far more open about it. Harry was proud of his lover. She had no reason to be ashamed so seeing her proud and being accepted was something he thought she deserved. But the wizarding world was very bigoted despite being so diverse and he'd truthfully been worried about the reactions too.
The next Potions class with the Slytherins and Gryffindors began with Draco Malfoy trying to berate Hermione to no avail. He tried to call her a 'creature' but Hermione merely retorted that he'd been ready to commit suicide to get to the Veela at the World Cup only to see him fall silent. Harry had merely chuckled and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend. Hermione wasn't one to need protection. She didn't do the 'damsel in distress' thing. He was quite glad.
