Chapter 7:

The reception went into the wee hours of the night, as any good celebration of a grand life should. Fleur was growing rather weary of keeping up appearances whilst trying to abide my Hermione's request. As the last guests were leaving Bill pulled her aside to finally have a private conversation with her, one that she was both dreading and looking forward to.

"Fleur," said Bill as he pulled her into his embrace, "I'm so happy you are alright. I've been so worried about you these-"

"Please stop Bill," Fleur said as she cut him off.

Bill posture became rigid as his hold on Fleur became tense. He knew what was coming, he knew deep down inside that Fleur no longer loved him, the hollow kiss they shared at the beginning of the reception making it clearly evident. Yet Bill still couldn't believe this was happening, couldn't believe that his wife, his wife was about to leave him. He wracked his brain thinking of anything he could possibly say to keep Fleur by his side. In the end he knew that nothing he could say was going to change anything.

"Bill," Fleur began, "zis is one of ze most difficult zings zat I 'ave ever 'ad to do in my life." She took a deep breath as she continued, "I know zat your are a smart man and know zat somezing 'as changed wiz me"

Bill tried to interrupt but Fleur silenced him by pressing two fingers gently across his mouth. "Bill please do not make zis 'arder zen it already iz," pleaded Fleur as tears started to roll down her face. "I'm so sorry Bill. I know 'ow much zis much 'urts, and I understand if you never wish to speak to me again, if you curse my name to ze heavens."

"Fleur," started Bill as he took a deep breath and continued, "I love you, and I will always be here for you, even in friendship."

Fleur knew that she had fallen in love with Bill for a good reason, that being that he was such a noble and true man. But as much as it pained her to see him in so much pain she knew that it needed to be this way. That the love she once felt for Bill was nothing compared to what she now felt for Hermione. A feeling that she couldn't yet find words to properly explain.

And with that Bill gently kissed Fleur on the temple and walked back into the burrow. Fleur let out a sigh that she had been holding in and looked up at the night sky. Her moment of solitude and peace was soon interrupted.

"You can't have her, you just can't" said a voice from behind Fleur that she had recognized as belonging to Ron.

"Ronald," she began, but was abruptly cut off by a rather infuriated Ron walking towards her with clenched fists. "She isn't yours Fleur, you are married to my brother. I don't know what kind of spell you put on Hermione but you best let off it Fleur!"

"Ronald, I know zat you 'ave feelings for 'Ermione, but I can assure you zat I 'ave put 'er under no spell or done anyzing underhanded in regards to gaining 'er affection," replied Fleur trying to maintain calm.

"No Fleur! You listen to me, you will never ever have Hermione," Ron declared.

Upon hearing this something in Fleur seemingly snapped, no one would ever threaten to take her love from her. No one. Ronald Weasley was no exception.

Before Fleur knew what was going on she grabbed Ron by the throat, "NO ONE WILL EVER KEEP ME FROM BEING WIZ MY BELOVED."

The lack of oxygen to Ron's brain was blocking his ability to reply as he slowly started turning purple. It seemed he had a knack for doing that in Fleur's presence. He started desperately grabbing at Fleur's hand around his throat but to no avail. Ron noticed that Fleur's eyes had gone almost black with what could best be described as silver lightening bolts decorating the outer rims.

"Fleur!" George called out as he rushed over to her, "let the poor bloke go!" however Fleur paid him no attention. "Damnit Fleur let him go!" said George. At this instant Harry ran over and tried to help, "Fleur! Stop it" but again no response was given from Fleur.

"Fleur what would 'Mione say!" shouted Harry. Just hearing Hermione's name seemed to calm Fleur down and broke her from her near catatonic state. "Ron?" asked a disoriented Fleur as she let go of Ron's throat.

"Are you bloody insane!" yelled Ron while clutching his neck that was already sporting a rather nasty contusion.

"I.. I.. do not know what 'as…" Fleur trailed off as she desperately tried to gather her bearings. 'Merde,' thought Fleur, 'Grandmere was right'.

"Fleur what the hell?" asked Harry. Ron has just rushed back into the house leaving Fleur standing outside with Harry and George.

"What 'ave I done?" muttered a very distraught Fleur.

"Don't worry bout Ron, he is fine probably just embarrassed he got his head panned in by a girl," George said trying to calm Fleur down, even though he knew deep down inside that a few more moments of Fleur's death grip and he might have lost another brother.

"Fleur would you please just tell us what is going on. You rush into Bill's arms, when I thought you loved 'Mione, and now you almost kill Ron" stated Harry.

"I supposed zat I 'ave some explaining to do," said Fleur as she proceeded to tell George and Harry what she had just discovered herself only a few hours ago.

-o-o-

Fleur started to stir for the first time in days. When she finally opened her eyes she looked around the room extremely disorientated. Fleur sat up in bed and tried to piece together her memories, trying to figure out what she was doing laying in bed in the Burrow. Then it hit her. Hermione. Hermione! Fleur's last memory was of Hermione about to be hit with the killing curse. Fleur started to panic, as she flung her feet over the side of the bed.

"Fleur," said a voice from across the room.

Fleur looked up to see her grandmother sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.

"Grandmere! What are you doing 'ere? What iz going on?"

"Fleur do you not remember what 'appened? Try," replied Fleur's grandmother.

Fleur dug into her memories of the final battle, and the last thing she could remember was the sight of Hermione about to die. She remembered wanting nothing more then the save her love. 'Mon amour?' Fleur sat back down on the bed feeling a little bit overwhelmed. She was in love with Hermione Granger, no question about it, and no doubt in her mind. But Hermione was dead, she had to be.

Fleur broke down into tears, not knowing what else to do. She didn't know how it was possible to have your heart broken so fast.

"Fleur, she iz alive, you saved 'er," and with that Fleur was on top of the world all over again, albeit confused, but no longer heart broken.

"Grandmere, 'ow iz zis possible? From all ze tales you and mamam 'ave told me I was supposed to 'ave only one love in my life, and zat was Bill. But 'ow I feel for 'Ermione iz, it iz almost impossible to put into words. I'd move ze heavens and ze earth for 'er, I'd die for 'er…" said Fleur.

"And so you did child, " stated Fleur's grandmother.

"What do you mean?" asked Fleur.

"You took 'Ermione into your arms and got hit wiz ze killing curse" answered the elder veela.

"But… how," Fleur was beginning to feel overwhelmed and suddenly she wanted nothing more then to be holding Hermione close.

"Fleur, she iz your true love, your soul mate" replied Fleur's grandmother in a tone that Fleur couldn't help but notice was a bit terse.

"But 'ow iz zis possible? We veela's are supposed to know at first sight, I 'ave known 'Ermione for years," stated Fleur.

"Fleur, it iz complicated. It involves magic zat until only very recently I believed to be myths regarding our 'eritage."

Fleur was on the edge of her seat hanging on every word that her grandmother was saying.

"All I can tell you iz zat you and 'Ermione are now bonded, and zere iz no way to break zis bond even if you wanted to," stated Fleur's grandmother.

"If I wanted to?" asked a confused Fleur, "Why would I want to break my bond wiz 'Ermione?"

"Because Fleur, it will kill her."

Fleur shot up from her sitting position on the bed and rose to her feet, fist clenched as if she was preparing herself to fight.

"Kill her?"

"Fleur calm down," these words only further agitated Fleur.

"Calm? 'ow do you expect me to be calm? My 'Ermione is dying," Fleur exclaimed.

"Fleur, the veela blood zat runs zrough your veins originates from extremely magical creatures driven by love. 'Ermione does not have such blood running through 'er, she iz just a mere muggle."

All of a sudden Fleur was feeling rather defensive of Hermione. "You do not know 'er Grandmere, she iz a bright and powerful witch, wizout 'er 'Arry Potter would 'ave never been able to defeat Voldemort."

"Fleur you two are bonded, you share ze same 'eart, ze same power, but Hermione's body cannot 'andle ze strain, you yourself are going to 'ave a 'ard time adjusting to 'ze rush of power" finished the elder veela.

"Zere 'as to be somezing I can do. I will save 'er," vowed Fleur.

"Fleur zere iz nozing you can do! Your feelings for 'Ermione were never meant to be unearthed. It iz a curse! Zat iz why you did not feel ze immediate attraction to 'Ermione. Zere is nozing you can do except accept it," said Fleur's grandmother.

'Never' thought Fleur. Fleur was getting the nagging suspicion that her grandmother was keeping something from her. But what it was she didn't know. Or maybe it was Fleur trying to find some hope in the seemingly hopeless situation that had just arisen.

"According to your mozer she 'as already lost control of 'er newly acquired power" said the older veela. "It will start to take a toll on 'er."

"Zen I will make sure zat does not 'appen again," said Fleur. Simple enough she thought. She could keep Hermione safe, she would keep Hermione safe. Even if that meant making sure that Hermione would never have to lift a finger for anything again in her life. But just as quickly as that seemingly perfect solution came into Fleur's head she knew it would never work. Hermione was strong and brave, and would never sit idly by watching life pass her by. Just another quality that made Fleur love Hermione even more. Even standing there thinking about Hermione was enough to make her smile.

It was then that Fleur noticed a large fire outside of her window. "What iz going on?" she asked.

"Fred's funeral," answered her grandmother.

Fleur was at a loss for words, she knew that she would soon divorce Bill but even in her short time being a Weasley she still thought of Fred as a brother.

"Excuse me grandmere, I must go pay my respects and be zere for the Weasley's," said Fleur as she started to look for suitable attire to wear to the funeral.

-o-o-

"So you see, I kissed Bill because zis night was about Fred. I did not want to mare ze occasion but taking 'Ermione into my arms as much as I desperately wanted to," explained Fleur to George and Harry.

George and Harry stood there putting everything together. "Blimey Fleur, so Hermione is you're one and only, and its going to kill her?" asked George.

"Non, 'Ermione will not die. I won't allow it." Fleur said this with such conviction that Harry was inclined to believe her, even though he couldn't for the life of him think of how she was going to pull it off.

"Fleur, I hope that you are right, because I can't lose my best friend. I can't lose her after all we have been through. We bloody fought Voldemort side by side. 'Mione is my family," said Harry as tears started streaming down his face.

George put his arm around Harry's shoulder trying to provide some comfort to his pal. "Don't worry mate, we are going to figure this out. Hermione has always been there for us, we won't let her down." George looked over at Fleur as a thought crossed his mind. "Fleur, you said that you thought that your Grandmum was keeping something from you."

"Yes, she seemed a little bit, 'ow do you say, 'aloof' zroughout ze conversation, I feel zere is more" said Fleur.

"So then how can we figure out the whole story?" asked Harry.

"Ze Elders!" exclaimed Fleur, before she frowned.

"What's the matter Fleur?" asked Harry.

"While ze Elders could have ze answers we are looking for, I do not know where zey are. It iz a secret held by pure veelas, not even passed down to zere children unless zey too are of full veela blood," said Fleur.

"Well we will find them, heck if Harry found Moldymort's horcruxes then I'm sure we can find a tribe of old veelas," George confidently stated.

"We?" asked Fleur.

"Yes we Fleur," said Harry. "We are not going to let you go it alone."

"Well I supposed 'aving ze two of you can't 'urt zat much," said a clearly annoyed Fleur, who had no real intention of letting them tag along.

"Two?" said George, "you actually think Hermione is going to let us go without her? For being absolutely over the moon about her you sure don't know her very well."

"Merde," cursed Fleur, knowing full well that George was right.

"So where do we start?" asked a very excited George.

"We start by going to bed mate," said Harry, who had every intention of trying to sneak into Ginny's room tonight, well what was left of the night.

"Ginny waiting up for you then?" asked George with a knowing smirk on his face.

"Oh sod off," said Harry stifling a yawn.

And with that George and Harry walked back into the house, leaving Fleur standing alone looking at the night sky.

'I will save you Hermione' vowed Fleur.


A/N: sooo this chapter should answer a lot of questions, but not all of them, and not fully :) to those who were confused i really hope this clears things up.. thanks to everyone who dropped a review.. i got this out today cause of u guys instead of procrastinatin as is my normal nature. and thanks to those who like this story enough to make it one of their favorites :D. lemme kno wha u guys think.

on a funny side note.. my lab just hired a french post doc.. 'er akzent iz increziblee zik and i muzt make zur zat i 'o not laugh wen zpekin wiz 'er'