Landlocked

Chapter 7

by Bone Structure

For the second time in far too short a period, Fleur awoke in a strange bed. She felt dizzy and sore. The more she opened her eyes, the faster the room would spin. Tightly, she held her aching eyes shut and pulled the bed sheet over her head. She did not have the energy now to resolve any of her own questions. Where was she? Why did everything ache? Where did that stranger go? She would think about those things later.

Hermione had woken up earlier in a separate room. Although she was tired, there was a pain in her side that kept her up. She took a moment to sit up and look around the room. She remembered how she got there but it felt like a distant and fading memory, though she knew it could not have been long ago. Wanting to observe her hospital room more closely, she slowly brought her body to one side of the bed and began going through of notions of standing. The young witch groaned as she painfully straightened out her posture and tested the wounds on her stomach.

"If it pains you to stand perhaps you should remain seated."

Unaware that she had company, Hermione turned around, somewhat embarrassed to be caught off guard.

The woman at the doorway Hermione recognized immediately, though having seen her only few times prior. She bared an awfully uncanny resemblance to Fleur, and the relation was undeniable. Like Fleur, she was blessed with an incredible figure; she stood, naturally lean, at what was likely six feet.

"Apolline," said Hermione, a welcoming smile growing on her face.

"I did not think you would remember me, Hermione." Apolline came close to the brunette, coming close enough to bed down and kiss the girl's cheek. This caused Hermione to blush furiously. "It has been a long time." Since the wedding, thought the younger witch.

Apolline sat across from Hermione in a dingy visitor's chair that, to Hermione, seemed unworthy of her.

"I must ask, not that I'm ungrateful for your visit, but how-" Apolline lightly waved her hand, signaling that Hermione stop.

"The medic tending to Fleur is a close family friend. She called me immediately after Fleur was admitted. She also explained that Fleur was not alone." Apolline looked at her with a knowing look, as if to say I know what happened, everything is alright. Hermione should have derived comfort from this, but she couldn't be anything but confused. She could barely recall what had happened. She remembered waking up, kissing Fleur's back softy. She remembered being happy. Then she remembered a gruesome image: Fleur's body breaking within itself, cracking its own bones so easily yet painfully. Hermione's entire body shook violently.

"How is Fleur doing?" Hermione began to panic, her hands visibly shaking at her sides.

Apolline sensed the young girl's anxiety and sat down next to her; she took Hermione's trembling hands in her own and smiled softly. Though she was not entirely calmed, a gentle wave of tranquility came over Hermione.

"I visited her earlier; she was sleeping. She seems to have sustained no severe injuries. They are keeping her for observation, perhaps a day or two, to ensure that all is well internally. " Apolline gave her small, reassuring smile but Hermione stayed silent.

"Hermione, I hope you do not hold this against her... This was not under her control." Still hold Hermione's hand, Apolline instinctively caressed the younger girl's palm with her thumb.

"I knew it wasn't. When I saw her pain… I knew. She didn't want it." The young witch could feel her face getting wet, but could do nothing to cease the flow of tears. "I don't know what happened. One moment we- we were…" Hermione didn't know how to, or if Fleur would even her to, say we were making love. So she didn't. "And then she couldn't remember anything. She thought I was keep-keeping her hostage." She hadn't even finished the sentence before bursting into uncontrollable sobs. The blond witch held Hermione, tightly, softly.

"Hermione, you have done nothing wrong."Apolline spoke into Hermione's hair, still holding the girl close until her sobs were calmed. "It is her heritage."

"What-what happened?"

"I cannot tell you exactly, as I was not there and am not informed of the full story. But she transformed, yes?" Hermione nodded against her chest. "Since Fleur's veela blood is… diluted, for lack of other words, she cannot transform at will. It is an entirely emotional reaction."

"She couldn't remember anything. She looked at me as if I were a stranger."

"What do you mean she could not remember anything?"

"She spent the night at my place. When she woke up she couldn't remember who I was."

Apolline pulled back from the younger girl slightly. Spent the night? She did not understand previously, but now she did. Now she had a vague clarity. She knew the cause of Fleur's shift, her transformation.

"When you say she spent the night, do you mean that you two…?"

The brunette looked up, directly into Apolline's eyes. She could feel her entire face go red as she nodded. I hope Fleur doesn't mind me telling her.

"This changes a lot," Apolline said simply, easily, as if she had resolved all matters with that one sentences. Hermione did not know that what followed that one simple statement was about to make her life exceedingly difficult.

Apolline let go of Hermione entirely, then again took the other witch's hands in hers.

"Hermione, a lot has changed for Fleur now. Love for veelas is not like it is for humans. Depending on what ones believes, that is. I understand that some humans believe in something like 'the one,' that there is only one person with whom they belong. Veelas do not only believe in this idea, but it is very true for them. It is a magical bond that forms. Like humans, veelas cannot choose whom they love, it simply happens. Many veelas do not realize this bond has been created until after physical relations have begun." Hermione saw where this was going. She wasn't sure that she liked it.

"A veelas' true lover is their complement. Fleur's reaction to your relationship indicates that you are her complement."

"What?" Hermione stood up and began pacing about the room, suddenly forgetting about her painful injury. "That still doesn't explain why she forgot or why she transformed or why… why anything!"

"Hermione, please sit. You must think of the veela as Fleur's subconscious. The misconception is that the veela is a creature that lives inside us, but that is untrue. We are veelas, we do not share our vessels with them. The veela is an expression of how we feel, and it is also our ultimate primal defense. This does not happen very often, I have never seen it before, but I have heard of this occurring. This is a test. Fleur's subconscious is uncertain. She is afraid that you do not feel for as intensely her as she does for you. Her veela heritage has taken over, and it is testing you. "

"Is it testing me by making her forget me?" Hermione stopped her pacing and glared at Apolline. "Where is the sense in that?"

"It is a test of patience, of love. The veela, Fleur, believes that if you love her, you will wait. She will regain her memory of you eventually, once her subconscious is sure that you truly love her. It's a protective measure against you. If you do not prove that you love her, then she will not remember and she will not be hurt."

"What if I don't love her? I have liked her, yes, for a long time, but love… I don't know. That is an entirely different thing. We have not even spoken in so long…"

"Time, Hermione. That is all you can do, wait."

AN: I apologize for the wait. I felt incredibly blocked while writing this chapter. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I would like to address the issue of the sunflower now, since so many have asked about it. I have not forgotten about it, and it will be back.