Thank you all for the reviews. I still have another twist in mind; it should appear in the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy the chapter and review-Lark
When Hermione woke it took her several seconds to work out where she was. The white light, the starched blankets, the lingering smell of disinfectant; she was in the hospital wing. Which was highly unusual for her, usually her visits to the hospital wing were to make sure Harry was still alive; she was rarely the one who needed treatment. Once she realized where she was the events of the previous night began to plague her mind. Ron, oh god, Ron, her gaze shot over to the now empty bed. "If you're looking for the red head," Madame Pomfrey interrupted her thoughts briskly. "I released him earlier and instructed him to go to class."
"Oh," Hermione nodded, calming down considerably.
"Now rest, I am still not convinced you are not suffering shock," She dismissed.
"With all due respect Madame," Hermione argued, "I was petrified by a basilisk when I was thirteen, fought in the Department of Mystery when I was sixteen, defended the school last year. If that didn't give me shock this won't."
Madame Pomfrey eyed her for a moment before conceding, "Alright, you may go, but no classes." She instructed.
"Yes ma'am," Hermione nodded obediently, for once in her life she didn't feel up to class. She slipped off the gurney, pulling her black robes over her base uniform and straightening her hair. What was waiting for her out there? Ron would have a lot of questions; Fleur would still be on the rampage, Apolline was still on campus and Hermione didn't even want to think about Elise. Hermione strolled the corridors slowly, feeling alien and alone in the silent passages. She wondered if this is what the ghosts felt like, isolated, like they were stuck halfway between life and death. She retreated to the west tower, where the astronomy observation deck was located. She expected peace, what she didn't expect was Harry. He was leaning against one of the ramparts, glasses low on his nose as he read.
"Harry," She blinked, "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Free period," He responded instantly, she assumed it was what he told anyone who asked. "Why are you here?" He asked, genuinely surprised to see her.
"I was in the Hospital Wing, I was told not to go to class," Hermione shrugged.
"Was Ron there? He didn't come back to the dorm yesterday," Harry frowned.
"Ah yeah, he was there, he had an accident," She allowed carefully. Did Ron even remember who had assaulted him? "Is he ok?" Harry asked, concern filling his emerald eyes. "Yeah, Madame Pomfrey fixed him up, he should be in class," Hermione mused.
"Good. What happened? What was the accident?" Harry queried, taking his attention off his book. "Ah," Hermione stalled.
"Hermione, you can tell me anything," Harry promised, it seemed he really was trying to jump out of the hermit hole he dug. "I have a...problem," She admitted with difficulty. "Problem?" Harry frowned, "As in an academic problem or furry little problem kind of problem?"
"No-ones a werewolf," Hermione sighed, "But it has to do with magical creatures."
"Hagrid-"
"Not for this particular problem," Hermione interrupted him, "It's rather delicate."
"You don't have a baby dragon stashed in the dorm do you? Or did you manage to free all the house elves?" Harry asked, only half joking.
"Ah no," She blushed.
"Hermione, what is it?" Harry frowned, reaching out to hold her hand.
"I'm not sure if it's safe to hold my hand, Harry," She whispered.
"Why not?" He frowned; jade eyes puzzled.
"Because Ron kissed me and he ended up in the hospital wing," She forced out in a rush. "Hermione, you're human right?" Harry frowned, unsure of where this was going or what she was about to tell him.
"What? Of course!" She exclaimed, "But someone I may beā¦involved with, isn't."
"Whom are you involved with?" He scowled; it was like trying to plus one and two and getting five. "Fleur," Hermione replied, too quietly for him to hear.
"Who?" Harry asked, slightly exasperated.
"Fleur," She repeated, blushing furiously.
"Romantically?" Harry baulked, as Hermione's blush deepened. "Isn't she with Bill?"
"No, they broke up months ago, they kept it quiet," Hermione replied shyly.
"Um, ok, wow," Harry blinked, trying to recover from the surprise, "What's the problem?"
"She's a Veela," Hermione retorted, stressing the V word strongly.
"I didn't take you as a kind to find that a problem," He frowned.
"No, I mean, it's the way she acts because of her heritage," Hermione explained, slightly defensive, "She comes on really strong and she's possessive."
"Possessive? Oh," His eyes widened and his mouth opened, "She put Ron in hospital?"
"Yes, because he kissed me," Hermione nodded.
"Does that count as cheating?" Harry asked carefully.
"No, we never agreed we were dating, I mean, I don't even know if I can stand her."
"So she's the problem? Her possessiveness?" Harry mused.
"In part, her family is here. I mean, her mother is lovely, but her Grandmother," Hermione scowled, "She's a full Veela."
"I can't say I'm following," Harry admitted. Hermione took in a deep breath before launching into a full explanation. Harry was dead silent the whole time.
"So you and Fleur were fighting and Elise made it worse?" Harry summed up.
"Pretty much and I'm so scared Harry," Hermione murmured.
"I have a piece of advice," Harry decided, "But you're not going to like it."
"Hit me," Hermione insisted.
"You need to go talk this over with Fleur, decided where you stand."
"I can't," Hermione refused.
"You have to Hermione, you owe it to you and her. If you don't, how many more Ron incidents are you going to have?" He reasoned. Hermione eyed him for a moment before sighing, "I don't know. Thank you though, Harry," She smiled.
"It's alright, you're still one of my best friends," He beamed.
"Yeah, you too."
Hermione was scared as she stood outside Fleur's office door; it was after dinner so she presumed the Veela would be present. Hermione knocked quietly and waited for Fleur's low reply, "Enter." Hermione opened the door slowly and entered the softly lit office. Fleur was seated behind the desk, legs crossed primly and hair tied back as she sat marking papers. "Hello, Miss Granger," She greeted the girl coolly.
"Fleur-" Hermione began.
"Professor," Fleur corrected icily. Hermione gazed at her, eyeing off the cold, indifferent mask she was portraying. "Fleur," Hermione repeated forcefully, the Veela glancing up at her as she said it. "We have to talk."
"I thought we did," Fleur sneered.
"We need to talk again, I was mad, you broke Ron's jaw," Hermione reminded her.
"He took what wasn't his," Fleur shrugged indifferently.
"I'm not yours, Fleur, not anyone's," Hermione sighed, "You have to accept that. Accept that I won't swoon and follow you around like a puppy."
"I see you haven't come to terms with a veela relationship," Fleur scoffed.
"You haven't come to terms with human relationships," Hermione shot back.
"I was under the impression we weren't undergoing either," Fleur spat.
"We aren't," Hermione shrugged before taking in a deep, shuddering breath, "But that doesn't mean we won't be, at some point."
"I believe the words you used were 'don't touch me, ever again'," Fleur sneered.
"Fleur, trust me, if we walk away like this, one of us is going to be hurt more than the other," Hermione sighed, "And we both know it won't be me."
"You suggest that I am so hung up over a juvenile, sexually repressed nerd that I'll be reduced to hiding in my office and listening to sad music?" Fleur scoffed.
Hermione scowled, this was a bad Fleur, a hurt Fleur, and Hermione didn't know how to deal with it. She clenched her hands together and crossed the room in three strides, placing her hands against the desk as she leant forward, towards Fleur. "Isn't that what you're doing?" Hermione demanded.
"No, I have been with my family, my Grandmother was rather affronted by your manner," Fleur hissed.
"She's affronted?" Hermione asked in disbelief, "I was just asked if I'd fucked you by a sixty year old member of your family. Who was disappointed with me when I hadn't."
"Grandmother is older than sixty," Fleur corrected her, "And for a Veela it is a disappointment."
"But I'm not a Veela, I'm human and I clearly have more scruples than you," Hermione repeated in exasperation.
"If you were a boy I would not be having this argument," Fleur hissed in frustration. "But I'm not, so deal with it," Hermione demanded.
"What do you want, 'ermione?" Fleur scowled. Hermione circled around the desk so she was standing before Fleur. "I care for you," Hermione admitted, "But I don't love you," She tried to soften the blow, but it still sounded harsh, "And you don't own me, I don't want anyone to own me, ever. I may give them my heart, but not all of me."
"I have said my piece on this matter," Fleur frowned, standing to pace.
"If you love me, work with me," Hermione requested, feeling smaller now the confident Veela was standing. "I can't forgive you for hurting Ron, but I can't hate you for it either," Hermione murmured.
"What then?" Fleur sighed, taking a chance and reaching out to hold the girl's hand lightly. Hermione didn't squeeze it back, but nor did she pull away. "Give me time, I'm not anything like you Fleur, I don't rush into things, not usually," Hermione took in a deep breath.
Fleur eyed her critically, "You want me to court you?" She deduced.
"Something along those lines," Hermione nodded, blushing slowly.
"A Veela does not do slow, ma mignonne," Fleur sighed.
"Please Fleur, for me," Hermione begged.
"All right," She relented, "For you, we will try."
Plans never go as one intends, love is never simple and fate is rarely kind, these rules go doubly so for Veelas and their unfortunate loves. A fleeting creature such as a Veela is naturally without romantic ties and as such, the universe punishes them when they form one. In this case the universe decided to act through someone close to the Veela's heart, her Grandmother. Hermione may have convinced Fleur to try the slow approach, but a Veela as old as Elise does not believe in such things. As such she has planned an obstacle to hurry the process. However Elise's plans often fall to ruin and chaos faster than a Veela can break a man's spirits. Unfortunately for Hermione she was on the receiving end of one such plan, if she thought Fleur was chaos, she was screwed.
Hermione wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to confront Elise; maybe it was just her nature. She had asked Hagrid where to find her, as the Professor for Care Of Magical Creatures he had been charged with making sure the visiting Veela were happy. As it was, they were being housed in magically extended tents just inside the forbidden forest. The students had been told that there were blast ended skrewts wandering around to stop them going near. The last thing McGonagall wanted were students to stop studying and start mooning over the creatures. That was the best outcome of students wandering across the encampment. Veela were many things of which seductress was only one. They had earned their bad reputation in the old days and Hermione highly doubted anything had changed.
She could feel the thrall pulsating through the trees as she neared the camp, she wondered how many Veelas had come. Surely three or four couldn't generate such a strong glamour. Sure enough, when she cleared the tree's she found a cluster of no fewer than twelve tents, at the center of which was a fire. It would have looked like a scene from an old legend, had it not been for the modern items here and there. Shoes, a radio, a generator; they spoiled the picture. As she neared heads poked out of tents. Most were not blonde, for some reason she had gotten it into her head that they all must be as fair as Fleur and her family. They followed her movements with predatory eyes that seemed to hang, unsupported in the shadows.
She barely made it three steps into the camp before a red headed woman accosted her. Well, maybe not red, more like flaming claret that shone like it was lit from within. "Hello sweetie, didn't you Professor warn you not to come out this way?" She greeted huskily, standing closer than any stranger had a right too.
"She did, but I'm looking for someone," Hermione frowned, she was determined and was not going to be hindered by these women...creatures. "It was only a matter of time before one of us snuck out for midnight snack," A Veela with hair as silver as the full moon shrugged. "Nothing like that," Hermione argued, "She's related to a friend of mine."
"That happens sometimes," The red head laughed, she really did make even the Weasley's bright hair colour seem tarnished in comparison. "Who are you looking for, darling?" The second Veela smiled sweetly, but Hermione knew the expression was mostly false, at least presently. "Elise," She nodded confidently.
"Ah," The red head nodded, she seemed disappointed, "I assume you know Fleur then?"
"Yes," Hermione nodded.
"Fine, follow me," She shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder and seizing Hermione's hand. Well, this could have gone better.
The red head led Hermione past the fire, the air smelt of a sweet smoke Hermione assumed was produced by specific kinds of timber and leaves. She wondered vaguely if it had anything to do with divination. "I'm melody," The Veela informed her with a sly grin. "Hermione," She replied, just to be polite. They stopped outside a tent as Melody raised the flap and led Hermione inside. It only took Hermione realizing the tent was empty to catch on to what was happening. "I'm flattered, but I'm just looking for Elise," She insisted.
"Don't fret sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you," Melody smiled sweetly.
"Yeah, cause you're just going to take me to Elise," Hermione scowled. Melody paused for a moment, concentrating. Hermione was confused for a moment before a sheer wave of thrall hit her. Unlike with Fleur, Hermione could tell exactly what was going on here. If Fleur ever used thrall it was subtle or barely there; this was obvious and intense. It filled her with a kind of need she didn't even know she was capable of harboring. It was all she could do not to beg the woman to take her and damn all else.
Hermione knew better, thrall was like an imperius curse, you had to throw it off or you were damned. Slowly, so as to not give off any outward warning signs, she brought up her occulmency shields. Few people knew that Veela thrall was a mental attack, but those that did were better off with the knowledge. Melody was approaching her so she raised the shields faster; back in her right mind by the time the Veela grabbed her. In a less than chaste fashion at that. "Still want to find Elise?" She asked silkily.
"Yes actually, I would also like you to let go of me," Hermione insisted and pushed the woman away. "You shook off the thrall enough to raise your walls," Melody observed with a smirk, "But it won't hold for long, I do hope I'm around when it fails."
"Elise, please," Hermione asked again.
"Fine, follow me," Melody relented and led her back into the smoky air and to another tent. Hermione hoped this tent was occupied, Melody hadn't let up her thrall and Hermione could certainly feel her shields wavering. Now she could understand what Fleur meant about their strength.
Thankfully Elise was in this tent, though she wasn't alone, what appeared to be a Hufflepuff was by her side. A sickly adoring smile fixed on his face as he looked up at her. "Let him go," Hermione demanded by way of greeting.
"He came by his own will," Elise shrugged.
"Does he stay by it?" Hermione hissed.
"Do you feel any thrall in the room?" Elise shot back. Hermione glared at Melody who lowered her thrall, not looking the slight bit guilty. Even with the thrall gone the boy remained there, swooning. "Melody, take the boy. I know you want the girl but currently that cannot happen," Elise murmured. The boy eagerly followed the red head out of the tent and Hermione shivered. She knew where they were going.
"So," Elise leant back, "I understand you and Fleur are speaking again?"
"Yes, we discussed things," Hermione allowed.
"Human things?" Elise scoffed.
"Yes, you seem rather out of touch with human relationships. We are very different to you and Fleur is three quarters us and only one quarter you," Hermione reasoned. "Tell yourself what you wish, child," Elise scoffed.
"I came to apologize for my manner at dinner in hope you would do the same," Hermione stated, changing the topic. "I accept your apology but refuse to say anything in return," Elise smirked.
"I thought you might," Hermione shrugged.
"Yet you came all this way," Elise observed.
"I believed it was right," Hermione retorted.
"Do you think it is right to deny Fleur her nature?" Elise smirked.
"No more than it is wrong to force me into anything," Hermione countered, "We agreed to take things slow."
"Deluded fools," Elise scoffed.
"Thank you for your time," Hermione nodded, not allowing the woman to infuriate her. She had learnt better. "I will see you around, no doubt, we have decided to stay for a while. The forest in ancient and heavy with magic."
"I hope you enjoy it here," Hermione nodded and turned to leave.
"Hermione, I suggest you be careful, you have already attracted attention to yourself, even before you came here," Elise warned.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked coolly.
"It takes a unique person to shake a Veela thrall. Melody has eyes for you, be careful, unlike Fleur she in a full blooded Veela."
"Thank you for the warning," Hermione nodded and left the tent.
Hermione hurried out of the camp, passing by the tent Melody had lured her into. Moans could be heard through the fabric as well as a husky laugh. Hermione blushed and hurried on her way, trying to ignore the stares on her back or the thrall that followed her like a bad scent. She was beginning to suspect that though Fleur was the beginning of her troubles, she was hardly going to be the worst of them.
I apologize profusely for the lack of Fleur in this chapter, but it was necessary to build the plot. Harry needs to have his time, as did the Veela motif. So thanks for reading, plot suggestions welcome and please review-Lark
