A/N: Hey again, everyone! Wow, so, this last week has been crazy for my story. The number of followers has doubled between now and last Sunday, and a ton of reviews have come in. I wanted to say thank you! A special mention goes to my friend Perpetual Nonsense, who gave me a shout-out on their story. If you've come from there, welcome! And if you haven't already, you should check out their story, too. I started writing this as a bit of a passion project and I wasn't too focused on promoting it, so the fact so many of you have jumped on board is amazing. I didn't even know about the Fleurmione ship until recently, but when I found out I was like of fucking course those two are perfect for each other!
Anyway, this is the longest chapter I've written so far, and one of the most enjoyable. See you at the end!
o-o-o-o-o-o
"Pssst, Hermione! Do you know the answer to number three?"
Hermione jerked her head up, withdrawing from her thoughts. Ron was leaning toward her, forehead creased with anxiety.
Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room, deep in the explanation about the theory of transforming an innominate object into a sentient being. She tapped her wand aggressively against the blackboard, pointing at a complex diagram of squiggly lines.
She was trying her best to engage the class, most of who were in a state of a lull. Seamus had his mouth hanging open, Neville's eyes were crossed, and Harry was doodling on a scrap of parchment.
"Number three for what? We aren't doing a test?" Hermione whispered back.
Ron slid his piece of parchment toward her, and she realised it was his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. She shoved the parchment back to him, clucking her tongue.
"I'm not doing your homework for you!" she hissed, "Especially when we're in a different class."
"It's not fair," Ron whined quietly, thrusting the homework into his bag. "I have to sit alone ever since Finch-Fletchley flunked out and by the looks of it, I'll soon be following suit. That class is bullshit this year."
"It's not that hard if you actually paid attention."
"I do pay attention!"
"I saw you making paper aeroplanes the entirety of last class."
"It's 'cos I didn't understand what Snape was on about! You're lucky you get to sit next to Krum, he's already done most of the curriculum at Durmstrang!"
Hermione scoffed.
"Are you really about to claim that the reason I'm doing so well is because of Krum?" she snapped.
"Of course not, I just-"
"Mr Weasley!" McGonagall's voice boomed, causing the whole class to jump. "Since you are in such a mood to speak, would you kindly explain the potential consequences in altering an inanimate objects DNA sequence and what the resulting effect a defective strain could have on a sentient being?"
Ron gaped.
"Honestly, Professor, I don't know what half of those words mean," he replied. The class sniggered. McGonagall did not.
"I fear for you all," McGonagall said coolly. "You are part way through your sixth year, and you will be expected to have mastered this magic before you enter your seventh. There is only so much assistance I can provide. You will have to practice vigorously in every moment of spare time you have. A sharp tongue will, unfortunately, not help you in the slightest."
The class was no longer laughing.
"Does anyone know the answer?" McGonagall pressed. The room stayed silent.
Hermione could feel McGonagall's eyes on her, so she quickly feigned intense interest in her textbook. She hadn't answered one question the entire class in an attempt to avoid any interaction with McGonagall; the memory of the champion's tent still burned in her mind.
McGonagall sighed.
"If anyone would like any pointers," she continued, "I would recommend speaking to Fleur Delacour. She performed this charm to perfection during the first task and would put the rest of you to shame."
Hermione's stomach flipped at the mention of Fleur's name, and she packed up her bag hastily as the bell clanged to signal the end of class. Ron's ears were red as he threw his books into his own bag, muttering to himself.
Hermione was nearly out of the door when McGonagall's voice rang out, "One moment, please, Ms Granger."
Hermione slowly turned and let the rest of the class pass her, telling Harry and Ron she would catch up with them at lunch.
The last student straggled out, and the door slammed shut as McGonagall sat in her chair, hands clasped in her lap.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione said before McGonagall could speak. "We shouldn't have been talking during your lesson."
"What? Oh, don't worry about that Ms Granger," McGonagall replied, waving her hand lazily. "Mr Weasley tends to lose focus easily. He has bigger problems that you speaking to him during class."
"So, then what-?"
"I wanted to discuss what happened yesterday," McGonagall said. She reached into her desk drawer and withdrew a large round tin, popping the lid.
"Biscuit, Ms Granger?"
"Er, no thanks."
"Don't be ridiculous."
Hermione took one.
"So," Professor McGonagall began again. "Yesterday, at the task. I wanted to let you know that it was not my idea to be there.
"Er, okay," Hermione said lamely.
"It was at the request of Madame Maxime."
"Yeah, I heard that."
"My personal views and that of the other faculty at Hogwarts are not in line with Madame Maxime's."
"Right."
McGonagall nodded, her face relaxing somewhat.
"In your spare time, you can do… whatever you want," she continued slowly. The point of this Tournament is to create close bonds with other members of our magical community. There is no rule against dating anyone, as long as you are safe and… responsible and-"
Hermione jumped to her feet.
"Thanks for that, Professor," she said quickly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and willing her face to not redden any further. "That's really… thanks."
Before McGonagall could reply, Hermione darted out the door and nearly ran down the corridor toward the Great Hall. She spotted Harry and Ron tucking into their lunch at the Gryffindor table and bee-lined, sitting across from them and blurting out-
"McGonagall just tried to give me the sex talk!"
Several students around them looked at her in alarm and Harry began to choke on his shepherd's pie. Ron had paused mid-bite into his sandwich, registering what she said before bursting out laughing. The sandwich dropped to the ground as he wheezed and slammed the table with his hand.
Harry was coughing heavily to try to dislodge his food, tears streaming down his face.
"What!?" he managed to choke out.
"Just then!" Hermione said, barely able to control her own laughter. "She just tried to tell me that I could sleep with whoever I wanted but be responsible about it. I left before she could say any more."
Ron and Harry howled with laughter once more, and Hermione shook her head in disbelief as she helped herself to the chicken salad in front of her.
"How did that even come up?" Ron asked eyebrows high on his forehead.
Hermione paused. She hadn't told Harry and Ron about McGonagall coming to the champion's tent before the first task, let alone the reason why. She knew it would prompt questions that she didn't feel comfortable answering just yet.
"Uh, just with the Yule Ball coming up, you know," Hermione lied. "She was telling me about how the champions have to… to represent their schools positively and, yeah, just came up from there."
Harry and Ron nodded, accepting her lie without a second thought as they continued to eat.
"Speaking of which," Ron said, buttering a new piece of bread, "what are you going to do about that?"
"Do about what?"
"The Yule Ball! You have to take a partner. I reckon Neville would go with you if you begged…"
"Oh, shut up," Hermione snapped, moving the salad around her plate with her fork. "I'm not going to take anyone."
"Sorry mate, you have to," Harry said with a smirk. "I overheard Flitwick and Slughorn talking in the corridor the other day, and they said that champions have to take partners. It's meant to promote collaboration between the students or some rubbish like that. I just think it'll promote teenage pregnancies."
Hermione groaned.
"But I don't want to take anyone," she whined, knowing this wasn't entirely true.
Harry shrugged.
She sighed and shoved an abnormally large chunk of chicken into her mouth, frowning as Ron's eyes widened at something behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew who it was before she had even turned around. The smell of jasmine and vanilla wafted over her.
"Hermione," Fleur said softly. "Can I have a word?"
Hermione swallowed quickly and had to fight to stop herself from choking as the food slid heavily down her throat.
She nodded her head and stood, ignoring the Gryffindor's who were all gawking at Fleur.
You'd think they would be used to her by now, she thought grumpily as Fleur led her out of the Great Hall.
The doors of the Entrance Hall banged loudly as the cold wind whipped them open and closed. Filch was leaning heavily against them in an attempt to keep them shut, cursing at Peeves as he circled overhead and threw water balloons at squealing students who tried to get through.
Cedric gave the door a particularly hard shove as he muscled his way in, causing Filch to topple forward and land face first on the hard stone.
Fleur observed the chaos with an arched eyebrow. She looked around and beckoned Hermione to follow her into an empty classroom to their right.
They entered the room, and Fleur immediately walked to a vacant chair and sat down, twirling her wand anxiously between her fingers. Hermione elected to stand near the door in case she needed to make a quick exit. The lock clicked shut quietly next to her.
An awkward silence buzzed between them.
"We need to talk properly," Fleur said, breaking the silence. "I thought I could stay away from you, but I cannot stand the idea that you think I used you."
"I don't really think that," Hermione replied quickly.
"Then why did you say it?"
"I-I don't know," Hermione murmured. "I was upset after hearing the score Maxime gave me and then when I heard you did so well with a spell we practised together… I jumped to conclusions."
Fleur nodded.
"Madam Maxime was ruthlessly unfair," she replied. "One of my friends told me that after the task the Tournament organisers called a meeting with her. They warned her that if she could not be impartial, she would be removed from the judging panel entirely."
"That's good to hear."
Fleur half smiled and glanced to the ceiling as they fell into silence. The air hung thick between them.
At the same time, they began to speak.
"I am sorry for-"
"I shouldn't have-"
They both stopped talking, and Fleur smiled thinly.
"You go first," she said, her wand spinning so fast in her fingers that it was a blur.
"I'm sorry for the awful things I said to you in the Hospital Wing," Hermione said quickly. "I don't actually think that you're using me. I reacted too quickly on minimal information and shouldn't have been so quick to form an opinion."
Hermione knew she sounded too formal, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't used to being wrong, and apologies were not her strong suit.
"Thank you for saying that," Fleur replied. "Maybe it is best if we do not practice our magic around each other, to give you peace of mind?"
"No," Hermione blurted out, and Fleur's eyebrows rose. "No, it really isn't an issue. I believe you. Plus, you could probably teach me a thing or two judging by what you did in the first task…"
Fleur's smile became more authentic, and she visibly relaxed in her chair.
"I have known how to transfigure large objects since last year," she said, failing to keep the pride out of her voice. "I have always been somewhat taken with Transfiguration, it is a subject that makes sense to me. Divination, on the other hand…"
Fleur rolled her eyes and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She pushed herself lightly off the door and made her way to a chair next to Fleur.
"You know, I walked out of Divination in my third year," Hermione said, smiling coyly. Fleur's mouth dropped open in mock horror.
"Hermione Granger, walking out of a class? Unheard of!"
"It was ridiculous!"
"How will you ever have a well-rounded education now?"
"Shut up," Hermione said, pushing Fleur's knee lightly. "I knew after a few weeks that the whole class was pointless, so I dedicated more of my time studying things that actually matter! Like… like Astronomy!"
"Astronomy!?"
"Hey, if I ever get lost in the woods, I'll know how to find my way out just by looking at the stars."
"Or," Fleur said, leaning forward, her eyes wide, "you could find your way out by using magic. Because you are a witch. Who knows how to use magic."
Hermione clenched her jaw to try to stop herself from smiling.
"You think you're funny, huh?" Hermione said.
"I have my moments."
They fell into a comfortable silence, and Fleur stopped twirling her wand. She lay it on the desk and put her hands in her pockets.
"Now it is my turn to apologise," Fleur said quietly.
"What for?"
"My behaviour last night was not… acceptable."
Hermione felt her stomach turn slightly as a vision of Fleur and Tess kissing came to the front of her mind.
"Oh," Hermione stammered, "I mean, you're entitled to do whatever you want."
"Yes but taking a drug I have never heard of is not the smartest idea, do you agree?"
Hermione frowned.
"What?"
"What do you mean what? I did see you last night, right? Or was I hallucinating…"
"Yeah, you saw me. In… in the corridor outside of the Room of Requirement," Hermione said slowly, deciding she wouldn't bring up the other time they had seen each other that night.
"I was not in my right mind," Fleur continued, glancing up at Hermione. "I got back to the Beauxbaton's carriage after I saw you in the Hospital Wing and they had thrown a party for me. One of the boys offered me this drug, and I was upset, so I just took it. It is not something I would usually do but, well, I did."
"Ooooh," Hermione said. "Yeah, I gotta say, that's really not a smart move."
"I agree. It made my brain go all fuzzy, and I started hallucinating… at one point I thought that a house elf was chewing on my leg when in reality it was just me scratching my leg."
Hermione let out a small laugh as relief washed over her.
She only kissed Tess because she didn't know what she was doing, Hermione thought. But then… did Tess take advantage of her?
Fleur continued to describe some of her other hallucinations, gesturing her hands wildly, but Hermione was barely listening.
What if she doesn't know what happened? She'll feel so violated, but if it happened to me, I'd want to know.
Fleur was looking at her quizzically, and Hermione realised that she must have asked her a question.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, trying to judge the best way to word her next sentence. "It's just, I should probably tell you something you did while you were on the drugs…"
Fleur's eyes widened.
"Oh no, what is it?"
"Well," Hermione said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "I actually saw you when you were inside the party, and you were… you were kissing Tess. When I think about it, you did look kind of trapped, she had her hand against the wall blocking you from leaving and-,"
Hermione stopped talking as she saw Fleur's face start to blush.
"No, don't be embarrassed," she said quickly, "I mean, it's not like you could give consent. If anyone should be embarrassed, it's Tess. I can't believe-"
"I knew what I was doing," Fleur said quietly.
An awkward silence hung thick around them once again.
"Oh," Hermione said in a hollow voice. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth.
"After what you said in the Hospital Wing," Fleur continued, "I thought that you hated me. I went to seek comfort and Tess and I… we have a long history. She has always been there for me, and I just wanted to… forget."
"Yeah, okay," Hermione replied. She wanted to say more, but her mind was empty.
"We did not sleep together," Fleur pressed.
A million responses came to Hermione's mind, yet none of them seemed like the right one. Fleur had wanted to forget her, she tried to get over her. Once again, the feeling of rejection stung her.
"You can do whatever you want, it doesn't phase me. I'm not your girlfriend," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Her stomach curled in displeasure at her own words.
To Hermione's surprise, Fleur laughed and threw up her hands.
"So, we are back to this again, are we?" Fleur said coldly. "You are going to give me whiplash with how back and forth you are, Hermione!"
"I mean, in the Hospital Wing, you said you wanted to wait for me and then a couple of hours later you're snogging another girl? How am I supposed to feel about that?"
Hermione regretted the words the moment they came out of her mouth. She knew she was being unfair and yet she couldn't help saying such a cutting statement. She couldn't bring herself to look at Fleur; she already knew the stunned expression that would be on her face.
"I think it is fair to say that I was not so interested in waiting for you after you called me a liar and a cheat," Fleur snapped. "I do not know what you want from me! You tell me not to wait for you, and then you get mad when I try to move on. I am trying to make things civil between us, yet every time I try, it seems I say the wrong thing. I know you are dealing with questions about your sexuality, but I have feelings, Hermione, I am not a toy that you can play with whenever you feel like it!"
"Yeah, well, you don't have to be moving on right in front of me, in public!"
"As you have made it perfectly clear, you are not my girlfriend, so I am actually inclined to do whatever I want!"
Fleur glared at her as she stood, snatched up her wand, and stormed toward the door. Hermione sunk back into her chair as Fleur placed her hand on the handle.
"Did you tell your friend with the pink hair to attack me?" Fleur said suddenly, her back still to Hermione, "because you were jealous?"
"No!" Hermione said, incredulously. "You reached for your wand, so she stunned you as a precaution."
Fleur paused and turned slightly.
"I reached for it because I wanted to show you this," she replied, waving her wand in a "Z" motion.
Two shadowy figures emerged from Fleur's wand, floating gracefully in front of her. They straightened up, and Hermione realised they were the echoes of Madame Maxime and Fleur.
Neither solid nor translucent, they had a haughty look about them. No background appeared with the echoes though, judging by shadow Fleur's blue bandage, it was a scene that had happened in the champion's tent. The shadow Maxime was shouting.
"You are not serious?" it said. "Turn around and enter that stadium right now!
"Do not tell me what to do!" the shadow Fleur replied. "You are behaving like my mother!"
"And you do not think there is a reason for that?" shadow Maxime replied, throwing up her hands into the air. "You know your mother asked me to keep watch over you during this time!"
"Well, she should not have. I am nearly 17, I am nearly a legal adult, and I control my own life. If you continue this, if you continue to force Hermione and I apart, I will no longer participate in this Tournament."
"What!?"
Shadow Maxime's eyes were wide, her mouth agape.
"Madame Maxime, you brought in a mediator to keep us apart! Do you not realise how ridiculous that is?"
"I am protecting you!" shadow Maxime exclaimed. "Have you not thought about what may happen if Amandine were to find out you were dating a Mudblood!? This is exactly why your mother asked me to watch over you!"
"Do not use that word!" shadow Fleur spat. "I do not care what Amandine thinks. If she has a problem with it, she can take it up with me."
"So you are willing to risk everything? For a silly girl?"
Shadow Fleur's voice echoed slightly as she said, "She is not a silly girl." The words didn't quite match the mouth movements of the shadow Fleur on this sentence, but both figures faded before Hermione could squint her eyes to look closer.
Soft light from the window fell onto the real Fleur as she stood motionless, staring hard at the space the shadows had just occupied.
Before Hermione could speak, Fleur stalked out the door. It snapped shut loudly behind her.
o-o-o-o-o-o
The days trickled by and November grew colder as it neared its end.
Hermione dragged her feet as she made her way towards Charms. She had been dreading this class, and her constant thinking about it had been affecting her performance in her other subjects.
Krum had easily disarmed her in Defence Against the Dark Arts, a Venomous Tentacula had nearly strangled her in Herbology, and her Draught of Living Death had been so subpar that Slughorn had given her extra homework for the first time in her Hogwarts career.
Harry and Ron had tried to ask her what was wrong, but she had shrugged them off, blaming it on anxiety about the Tournament.
That couldn't have been further from the truth.
She had barely thought about the egg or the Tournament as they slipped into the last days of November. Her headspace was filled continuously with a certain someone instead.
Hermione had started to grow frustrated with herself. She knew that Fleur was right in what she had been saying. She knew she should feel okay about what her sexuality may be, and she knew that the majority of her friends would be okay with it. And yet, she still didn't feel comfortable enough to admit it.
The door of the Charms classroom was suddenly in front of her, and she hesitated. She had only seen Fleur once in the past two days and, in that instance, she had been walking with Tess. Hermione had darted behind a pillar to avoid being seen, accidentally knocking over a first-year boy in her haste.
"Are you waiting for it to tell you a joke?" Ron said from behind her, hurrying toward the door.
"You're late," Hermione replied.
"So are you 'cos to be on time you have to actually be in the classroom."
Ron made to push the door open, but Hermione had an idea. She grabbed his arm, and he looked at her quizzically.
"Hey, do you want to swap seats today? Sit next to Fleur?" she asked, fingers crossed in her pocket.
Ron's face lit up.
"Wait, seriously? I mean, yeah! Absolutely! I'll warn you though, the Beauxbaton's guy I sit next to is an absolute horrific excuse for a human being."
"No problem," Hermione said, forcing a smile onto her face. They entered the class together just as Professor Flitwick began to start his lecture.
Hermione immediately noticed the presence of an unexpected guest; Professor McGonagall.
She was standing next to Flitwick, hands behind her back, mouth taut into a straight line.
Seriously!? Hermione thought. Maxime has her watching over Fleur and me in our classes now!?
Hermione walked quickly to where Ron usually sat, giving a small smile to the wide-eyed Beauxbaton's boy.
She dropped her bag beside her chair and pulled out her thick textbook. The boy was still staring at her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Ron wave lamely at Fleur. Fleur turned in her seat to stare at Hermione, who quickly pretended to read her book intensely.
"Now, class," Flitwick said, clapping his hands for silence. "Today will be a special lesson. We are onto the next phase of learning for the Geminio spell where we will be duplicating medium-sized animals. Hence the reason Professor McGonagall is here!"
A ripple of laughter washed over the students. McGonagall's mouth tightened further.
"No, no," Flitwick said quickly, "I didn't mean it to sound like that. You see, Professor McGonagall will be in her Animagus form. Like so-"
He nodded enthusiastically, and McGonagall's jaw clenched as she transformed into the form of a tabby cat.
The Beauxbaton's students let out a collective ooooh. The Hogwarts students, on the other hand, had seen this before and were not so impressed. Hermione saw Fleur roll her eyes and read her lips as she said, "It is not that hard."
"Now, this will make the spell more difficult," Flitwick continued. "It is the ultimate test. As you know, Professor McGonagall is a human-"
"Sometimes," Hermione heard Dean mutter.
"- and so you must be able to duplicate her cat form while maintaining her human characteristics," Flitwick finished.
"But sir, how will we know if the duplicated cat has human characteristics?" Neville asked.
"My dear boy, if the clone begins to purr, you will know you have failed."
The class laughed. The tabby cat hissed quietly.
Flitwick indicated for the students to stand. With a flick of his wand, the desks and chairs levitated to the side of the room, stacking neatly on top of each other.
"Into a line please! Those that struggle with the charm will be first!" Flitwick shouted. The students all jostled for a place. Rough hands on Hermione's back pushed her to the front.
"No, no," Flitwick said quickly. "Ms Granger, to the back, please. Ms Delacour, you too. As we all saw, our champions have already mastered this spell. Neville, you can go first."
A sense of dread washed over Hermione as she turned and made her way to the back of the line. Fleur was already standing there, arms crossed, staring at the floor.
So much for my plan, Hermione thought glumly.
Fleur didn't bat an eye as Hermione took her place next to her.
The students in front of them were still jostling for position as Flitwick tried to order them appropriately. His squeaky voice was lost amongst the noise, however, and he gave the tabby cat an apologetic smile as it waited.
"Glad we don't have to go into that, am I right?" Hermione said, meekly. Fleur ignored her.
"Now, now, class, let's be civil about this!" Flitwick yelled, making a bang with his wand to get their attention. The students quickly fell into an untidy line.
"How do you think they'll go?" Hermione asked, turning toward Fleur, determined to get a response.
Fleur continued to stare straight ahead.
"I think they'll be alright," Hermione continued, being met with silence once again.
Neville walked forward and faced the tabby cat, pulling his wand slowly from his pocket.
"I'm glad you agree," Hermione finished sarcastically. The corner of Fleur's mouth twitched slightly.
Neville glanced nervously at Flitwick, who nodded his head enthusiastically. He raised his shaking wand toward the tabby cat, which looked just as scared.
"Geminio"! Neville cried, and a loud crack filled the room. The cat went flying high into the air, flipping over itself before landing on its feet. It hissed at Neville who had dropped his wand in shock.
"I'm so sorry, Professor!" Neville gasped, clambering for his wand while the rest of the class roared with laughter.
"Not to worry, not to worry," Flitwick said encouragingly, glancing at the angry cat. "You need a bit more practice, BUT-," he said loudly as Neville raised his wand once more, "- not on poor Professor McGonagall."
"She'll be alright, cats have nine lives," Ron exclaimed, smiling as laughter echoed around him.
"How about you go next then, Mr Weasley," Flitwick said, and Ron blushed, pulling his wand from his pocket as he strode forward. The cat looked extremely displeased, and Hermione saw its eyes dart to the door.
"He makes stupid jokes," Fleur said from next to Hermione. The rest of the students were talking around them, so only Hermione could hear what she was saying.
"She speaks!" Hermione replied with a gasp.
"You think you can get me to forgive you by making me laugh rather than have a proper conversation?" Fleur retorted, and Hermione's smile slipped from her face.
"Ron's jokes are stupid, but he can be funny," Hermione replied, sidestepping Fleur's question.
"Just before, when you sent him over to sit with me because you were too scared to face me, he asked if I knew that my name means flower in French," Fleur retorted.
"I wasn't too scared to sit with you," Hermione snapped back, watching as Ron failed at duplicating the cat. His clone looked like a deformed rabbit. "And he was probably just trying to cut the tension."
The class sniggered at Ron's failed attempt.
"Alright, alright, Mr Weasley, try to focus," Flitwick said frantically. "Class, settle down, please. Ms Granger, Ms Delacour, are you paying attention back there?
"Yes, sir," the girls said in unison. The class quietened down, and Fleur lowered her voice.
"You switched places with him because there was no pillar for you to hide behind this time?" Fleur hissed. Hermione felt herself blush slightly.
"Look, I just thought it would be best if maybe we stayed clear of each other. It seems like every time we get near each other, we fight," Hermione replied.
"We fight because you do not make it clear what you want from me!"
"It's not that simp-"
"Ms Granger!" Flitwick's voice squeaked again. "You are distracting the class with your whispering, this is very unlike you! Not everyone here is as proficient at this spell as you are and you are disrupting their opportunity to learn!"
"Sorry, Professor," Hermione said quickly, and Flitwick nodded. He beckoned toward Harry, who walked forward and smiled weakly at the tabby cat. No one had succeeded in duplicating it yet and, by the look on the cats face, it did not have much hope that that would change.
"This is not simple for me either," Fleur said, lowering her voice so Hermione could barely hear her. "It is confusing when you are constantly changing your mind."
"I'm not changing my mind," Hermione replied, barely moving her mouth to avoid being told off again. "It's more like… I change what I think my action should be."
"That is not useful to me."
"Then I don't know what to tell you."
A bang filled the classroom as Harry cried "Geminio!" and a stuffed toy of a cat appeared next to the real tabby. Flitwick frowned deeply, obviously frustrated at the lack of success of his students.
"I want you to tell me what you want and stick to that decision!" Fleur hissed.
"Why are you still asking me this question?" Hermione replied angrily, her voice rising slightly. "If it's causing so much drama in your life, why haven't you just walked away?"
Fleur blinked.
"Why do you think?" she said. "Because there is a part of me that is hoping you want to be with me!"
"And then what?" Hermione hissed. "You know I'm not ready to be public about this and you don't want it to be a secret, so how would it ever work? It's a Catch 22!"
"What is that?"
Hermione blinked.
"What is what?"
"A Catch 22," Fleur said. "I do not know that phrase."
"Oh," Hermione said, slightly caught off guard at the change of conversation. "It means, uh, like it's not clear what the right move is because neither option is the right one. The two possibilities conflict with each other.
"Like a paradox?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, I see what you mean," Fleur said, her eyes glancing back toward Flitwick to see if he was watching them. "A Catch 22, indeed."
They watched in silence as Seamus stepped forward for his turn. Flitwick was desperately attempting to explain how to visualise the cat before trying to clone it, leaving Seamus with an expression on his face as if Flitwick were speaking another language.
"What about Tess?" Hermione asked.
Fleur sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"What about her?"
"Well, you guys kinda have a thing going on."
"No, we do not. We are just friends. I have already discussed it with her."
"It sure looked like you were more than friends the other,-"
"Tess and I are not together!" Fleur snapped a little too loudly. Heads turned in their direction as Hermione and Fleur froze like deer in headlights.
"Ms Delacour!" Flitwick bellowed, causing both Hermione and Fleur to jump. "That's enough! You and Ms Granger are causing so much disruption that the other students can't focus enough to complete the spell successfully! Both of you, detention!"
Hermione's mouth dropped open. Detention!? She had never had one in her life.
"We are not distracting anyone!" Fleur replied, obviously as angry as Hermione. "It is not our fault that the class is incompetent."
"Cheers," Dean muttered from in front of them.
"They are not incompetent," Flitwick retorted, "they are merely being distracted by students who are giving no respect to their peers! As someone who has succeeded at this spell, you should be offering them help on how to be brought up to your level!"
"Here then," Fleur replied sharply, striding to the front of the room. She flicked her wand casually at the tabby cat, and a duplicate appeared next to it. It was an exact match, right down to the piercing look that both cats were giving.
"You, the boy who is trembling," Fleur said, pointing at Neville. "Your wand work is atrocious, and you are not focusing properly. The movement needs to be in sharper angles, and you must visualise clearly what you want the clone to look like. Take a moment to do that before you cast the spell, speed is not essential right now."
Neville nodded his head frantically, eyes wide.
"You," Fleur continued, gesturing at Ron, whose ears immediately reddened. "Your wand work is fine, but you are easily distracted, which is affecting the form you clone takes. Try focusing on a specific marking that the object has, one that is not generic. It will help."
Ron looked surprised, though, for once, he seemed to actually hear what Fleur had said. He made an impressed face.
"And you, the so-called Chosen One," Fleur said, arching an eyebrow at Harry. "You are not picturing the cat as a living thing, hence the clone appearing as a toy. Try picturing the inner workings of an animal, what makes up its mass, what makes it breathe. Focus on that before casting the spell."
"Yeah… that makes sense," Harry replied, tilting his head.
The room fell into stunned silence. Fleur tossed her hair behind her shoulder and crossed her arms defiantly.
"That's actually really useful advice," Dean muttered, and several students nodded around him.
Flitwick cleared his throat.
"Yes, thank you for that Ms Delacour," he said, sounding somewhat annoyed. "Regardless, I will see you and Ms Granger at 7 o'clock tonight."
Fleur scowled and walked to the back of the line.
Hermione had never felt so attracted to someone in her entire life.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Hermione arrived fifteen minutes early to detention, sat at a desk near the middle and pulled out her books. She couldn't help but be early, it was a habit drilled into her from an early age.
She was still reeling from the fact that Flitwick had resorted to such measures and until now thought that she could kill a man and the teachers would let her off with a stern warning.
That night was the Gryffindor's first dancing lesson and, though she was pleased to miss it, she was disappointed to not be able to watch Ron flounder around with some poor girl. The Yule Ball was still a couple of weeks away, and she felt sick every time she thought of having to dance in front of a large group of people.
Flitwick arrived at precisely 7 o'clock and told her their punishment was to study a subject of her choice for the next hour in silence.
Sounds like my average Wednesday night, Hermione thought as she flipped her Potions book to the page on the Draught of Living Death. She was embarrassed about her past performance in Potions and planned to make a perfect concoction of the brew in the next class.
The door of the classroom banged open, and Madame Maxime strode in, Fleur on her heels. Flitwick sighed and got to his feet, which didn't make much difference; his hat barely reached Maxime's waist.
"Filius, my student has just informed me that you have given her detention this evening!" Maxime boomed, crossing her arms tightly.
Fleur did a half eye-roll and made her way toward the desk Hermione was sitting at.
"That is correct, she was disruptive in my class today," Flitwick replied.
"And what makes you think you have the jurisdiction to discipline my champion?"
"My dear Maxime, if your students are attending my class then they will be treated like everyone else, champion or not."
Fleur dropped her bag onto the desk next to Hermione and sat down. She heaved out a thick copy of Unfogging the Future which was covered in scrawled drawings.
"You must inform me if a student of mine is misbehaving and I will deal with it in my own way," Maxime snapped, looking around and beckoning Fleur. "She will not be doing this detention."
"If Ms Delacour leaves this room, she will not be welcome back," Flitwick replied, standing firm. "I refuse to give any student special treatment. It was your request to have your students in my class, and I am more than happy to have them. However, my house, my rules."
"That seems to be the case throughout this entire castle!" Maxime growled. "A few nights ago, Fleur was brought to the carriage by one of your Auror's who had stunned her! I'm starting to think there is something sinister afoot!"
"I am under the impression Ms Delacour was stunned for the safety of others due to the aggressive and unpredictable nature she displayed after consuming an illegal substance in your carriage," Flitwick replied coolly.
Maxime glared and opened her mouth to retort, but Fleur interrupted her.
"It is fine. It is only for an hour. I will see you later."
Maxime sucked in her cheeks and shook her head before turning on her heel. She reached the door and said over her shoulder, "If they are disrupting the class, I expect they will be separated for the next one?"
"If it is necessary, yes," Flitwick replied.
Maxime nodded and strode out, leaving the door open. Flitwick made a noise of annoyance and closed it with the flick of his wand. He turned toward them.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" he snapped, marching toward his desk and reaching for some ungraded test papers.
Hermione and Fleur began to study in silence.
Fleur would occasionally make a loud tutting noise as she turned the pages of her book, which Hermione found increasingly distracting.
She was trying to read through a particularly wordy passage about the different measures needed to make the Draught of Living Death change from pink to purple when intense scratching reached her ears. Fleur was scribbling an absurd pair of eyebrows onto a picture of a sneering Seer.
Hermione pointed her wand under the desk at Flitwick and thought Muffliato. A slight shimmer appeared in front of them, and Hermione turned her head slightly toward Fleur.
"Do you realise how distracting that is?" she said, causing Fleur to look up in alarm. Fleur quickly turned toward Flitwick who was still frowning down at the papers he was grading.
"What spell have you used on him?" Fleur asked.
"I haven't used anything on him, I've put a sound barrier up in front of us."
"Impressive."
"I'm about to put one up between us if you don't actually start studying. I can't think with all the noise you're making."
Fleur closed her book.
"Divination is a ridiculous subject, I do not care if I fail," Fleur said, leaning back in her chair.
"Oh, how cool of you to not appreciate the education you're being given," Hermione said sarcastically and returned to her book.
"Says the girl who walked out of Divination."
Damn, she's got me there, Hermione thought. She chose to pretend she didn't hear her and stared at her book hard.
Fleur looked at her for a moment and then let out a loud sigh. When Hermione didn't react, she let out another one. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Has anyone ever told you you're quite dramatic?" Hermione asked, still not looking up from her book.
"I might have heard it before, yes."
Hermione bit her tongue to stop herself from smiling.
"People are talking, you know," Fleur said, and Hermione's face dropped.
"About what?"
"About today. It seems we were not as quiet as I thought. Rumours about us have been circulating since before the first task, but now it has gone up another level."
"Well, it's hardly surprising, is it? The past couple of times we've been seen together, one of us has been crying or storming off or getting stunned," Hermione replied. Flitwick coughed, and the girls quickly pretended to write on their respective parchments.
"And why is that?" Fleur asked, keeping her eyes down.
"Apparently because I'm a bitch and don't know what I want and I get mad at you for not knowing what I don't know I want."
"What are you talking about?"
Hermione paused.
"A friend of mine recently told me that if you don't explain yourself, you'll never be understood. I know I haven't been totally fair to you this past couple of weeks and it's just… my head has been a mess. My communication has been bad, and I've been getting mad at you for doing things that you didn't realise would annoy me."
Fleur nodded slowly.
"Well, yes it has been confusing," Fleur replied. "I guess I do not see the big deal about coming out. I do not see the need for you to need to label yourself before you even try dating girls."
"You don't get it. You said yourself, you grew up in a different world where labels don't matter. And that's great. But for me having a label… it's like being able to understand who I am. It makes things clearer for me."
"But why must you be anything?"
"To me, it gives me my identity. It says 'yes I am this thing', you know? It gives me permission to be the way I am, being able to say a label validates my actions."
"But why do you need validation?" Fleur said, and Hermione started to feel annoyed.
"Look, we aren't all like you," Hermione said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. "Not all of us can breeze around life just doing what we want. I know I shouldn't, but I care about the way people view me. If I were to come out, they would view me differently. It's inevitable."
"The Muggle world, maybe," Fleur replied softly, "but the magical world won't care a bit. You don't have to declare it from the rooftops."
"Yeah, but still," Hermione replied, turning the page of her book. "I'm so sure about every other part of my identity, that's the thing. It's hard to have a part of me I don't understand. For example, if someone asks me who I am, I can definitively state I'm a Gryffindor."
"What else?" Fleur asked.
"There are a lot of things."
"Like?"
Hermione frowned.
"Like… I'm a Muggleborn," Hermione replied.
"What else?"
"Why does it matter?"
"What else?"
Hermione bit her lip in irritation.
"I dunno…," she sighed, refocusing on her homework and scrawling notes in the margins. "I'm an activist for Elfish Rights, I'm a Puddlemere United fan, I'm a prefect, I'm a lesbia-"
Fleur raised her eyebrows, and Hermione's head snapped up so quickly her neck cricked.
"Oh my God," Hermione breathed.
"Well, that is interesting," Fleur said, propping her elbow against the desk and resting her head on her hand.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Hermione asked, her eyes still wide in shock.
"Not really. I just wanted to know who you thought you were," Fleur said. "Are you surprised?"
Hermione paused.
"I think I knew," she said slowly. "I mean, there's always a part of you that knows before you're willing to admit something."
Fleur nodded.
"I would hug you but, well, the charm only stops the Professor from seeing sound, not movement," she said simply.
Hermione stared down at the desk. She suddenly felt exposed, like a dark creature that had been hiding inside of her had been dragged into the light for everyone to gawk at. She crossed her arms and hunched in her seat.
"Here, let me tell you who I am," Fleur said quickly, registering the change in Hermione's body language.
"You don't have to-"
"I am a Beauxbaton's student," Fleur interjected, "I am a subscriber to Witch Weekly even though I hate gossip, I am a supporter of the Bordeaux Banshees even though I do not really like Quidditch, I am an excellent cook, and I am a woman who is attracted to other women, too."
Hermione smiled weakly but didn't seem to quite register Fleur's words. She scratched at the back of her hand lightly.
"So… so do I have to tell everyone?" Hermione asked quietly.
Fleur smiled empathetically.
"Hermione, you do not have to tell anyone if you do not want to. This is your story. There are no rules."
"Right, okay," Hermione said, nodding to herself. "Well, I'll think about it. Maybe start with Harry and Ron, and then they could spread it from there, so I don't have to come out to everyone."
"However you want to do it will be the right choice."
Hermione smiled at Fleur more authentically, and they held eye contact for a moment. Hermione felt a fluttering in her stomach as she looked into her bright blue eyes. A small line appeared near the corner of Fleur's mouth as she smiled back.
"Your cut is healing quickly," Fleur said, breaking the silence and nodding toward Hermione's cheek. "It has faded significantly."
Hermione absentmindedly touched her face, trailing her finger down the cut that the dragon's tail made.
"Madam Pomfrey has some kind of miracle cream," Hermione replied, felling the tiny indents where the stitches had sown her skin together. "I put it on each night, and the next day it looks better and better. It's a shame I won't have a scar, really. It would've been cool to be able to challenge Harry for whose looks the best."
Fleur tilted her head and smiled slightly. She was still gazing at Hermione's scar, though her eyes softened as she slowly looked at the rest of Hermione's face. Her stare, though gentle, made goosebumps ripple lightly across Hermione's skin.
Hermione dropped her gaze and noticed the tattoo on Fleur's wrist had suddenly appeared. She remembered seeing it the night of the first party but hadn't noticed it again until now. It was a simple outline of a dog and was spinning in circles, chasing its tail.
"Your tattoo has come to say hi," Hermione said, nodding toward it. Fleur looked down and placed her finger gently over it.
"It must like you, it hardly ever shows itself," Fleur replied. "It is the outline of a Speropax. I had it done two years ago."
"At fourteen? Isn't that illegal?"
"Probably."
"What exactly is a Speropax?" Hermione asked, watching the little dog as it wagged its tail. "I tried to look it up in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, but I couldn't find anything on it. Is it magical?"
"It depends on what you call magical," Fleur replied. "In terms of its form, no. It is simply a breed of dog. However, it is magical in the security it gives people when they are around it. It is known to be a beacon of hope, of resilience, of peace. People feel safer when one is around. It is rumoured that a Speropax cannot be born during times of strife, but I personally think that is the only time they can be born."
Hermione glanced up at Fleur, watching as she affectionately stroked her tattoo.
"How old is the one that came with you?" Hermione asked, watching the smiling girl and feeling her heartbeat pick up slightly.
"It turned one recently."
"Is it yours?"
Fleur pulled up her sleeve and tilted her head.
"The Speropax belongs to no-one but itself," she mused.
"I don't think it likes me very much."
"Why?"
"It growled at me when I said that it couldn't understand me."
Fleur laughed.
"You might've insulted its intelligence, but I think it forgives you," she said.
"How do you know?"
"They are forgiving creatures."
At that moment, Flitwick looked up, a frown on his face.
"Why can't I hear anything!" he exclaimed, casting a suspicious eye over the girls.
Hermione quickly undid the Muffliato charm and looked back down at her book, smiling.
o-o-o-o-o-o
A/N: So, there it is! What do you guys think will happen next? I have the next two chapters written already, so if you get it right, you're gonna know within the next couple of weeks :)
