Three days.
Despite popular opinion to the contrary, Diana was incredibly patient. She has already waited four hours in the muggle subway just to be able to go to her sister's graduation party. She waited three months of Hiatus from Wizardcomic's to re-publish her favorite series. And except for the eventual curses, she never complained once. Diana is patient. But she had a limit.
So she decided to wait exactly three days after Fleur's breakdown to do something about It. Because the blonde was going to continue moping around without taking action on a situation that may well be resolved. Only needed the right ally for the issue.
"So, let me see if I got it." despite reluctantly agreeing to talk to the Beauxbatons student Ginny was starting to see a wisp of hope " You want me to help you with this plan, which I loved by the way because you believe that our two morons need to get their heads together and just talk with each other?"
"Yes." her answer was short and to the point.
"Ok, I will help you." honestly if Diana hadn't shown up she was already ready to intervene "Just for curiosity how did you know I was the person who could help you?" Ginny had never exchanged a word with the Beauxbatons student, let alone Hermione. How she knew they were best friends was somehow curious.
"Because." Diana sighed, she was already tired "Fleur doesn't shut up when she starts talking about Hermione and Hermione talks a lot about you so Fleur talks a lot about you so I knew exactly who to turn to."
Ginny, seeing the girl's exhausted face, did not insist on the matter.
But what exactly was the brilliant plan your reader must be wondering. It is exactly what the author believes that many if not almost all of you wish to do with these two useless idiots. Lock the two of them in a room and make them talk about their feelings. The perfect plan. Shock therapy.
Ginny's role was simply to convince Hermione that Professor Flitwick wanted to revise a new material on unusual applications of charms with her. After the emotional turmoil the girl had gone through, that would be a good distraction.
Little did she know that as she made her way to class, Hermione steps were being watched closely. When opening the door it was strange not to find the little man in the room. Stranger yet was the door abruptly closed. And locked.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Oh, Hello Hermione my name is Diana is nice to finally meet you." a calm voice echoing behind the locked door spoked "Answering your question this is an intervention and the two of you will only leave this room when you resolve everything in a mature and civilized way."
Said the girl who locked two people in a classroom… Wait, two people?
Slowly as if in a trance she looked better around the room. Facing a pair of blue eyes that Hermione didn't think she would find anymore. Fleur Delacour. Her Fleur was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room with an expression of marked irritation on her face. She was pissed.
"Diana!" The blonde shouted as she headed for the door "Open this door right now I don't have time to deal with your antics!" Yup, definitely pissed.
"No, I'm not open It." the calm voice that had spoken to Hermione vanished and at her place was an equally pissed Diana "I had been patient enough, you have been more ridiculous than a boggart spell and I refuse to continue watching it happen and doing nothing about It." she paused for breathing a little "Look, I know you need your time to process things and whatever but you are walking on a self-destructive path and avoiding the problem! I'm only doing this because I know you can take It, you take more shit at school without even flinch a dame's muscle!" Even if Fleur could see her friend wasn't the one been difficult she wouldn't admit it out loud "You need a push, this is not a problem just talk with her ok." Despite lowering her voice Diana leaves no room for disagreement.
Silence filled the room. Fleur was still facing the door, her back was the only part Hermione could see. She was avoiding the problem, of course, she was. But even If she wanted to talk to Hermione was the other girl willing to talk? She was thrown into a room without her consent, what If... A tentative touch on Fleur's shoulder broke her thoughts.
"Let's sit on the chairs for that." To her surprise, Hermione didn't have a drop of anger or resentment in her voice. She was gentle. Even keeping an inviting smile while taking the older girl to sit. This was confusing.
"You are not mad with me?" Fleur does not even try to hide the vulnerability in her voice. Moving her hands in a nervous gesture the blonde could barely face the girl.
"Mad it's not the word I would use." She sighed "I'm more confused and sad, but not by discovering that you are well you, it's more because I know you were avoiding me than anything." assured the other girl.
Fleur's stomach turned. The last thing she ever wanted was making the joy of her life sad.
"I… I'm not good... dealing with my emotions. Using Diana's words I have a self-destructive way of dealing with them." I repressed them, was what she was trying to say "I'm not even sure how to start explaining myself to you." a dry laugh comes out.
"It would help If I make some questions and you go answering?" searched for the other girl's hand as saying I'm here. I'll hear you. With the warmth now present in the palm of her hand Fleur nods in agreement "Ok, first, you even need glasses?"
"No, I delighted them not to be prescription ones." if this was going to happen better it would be with total honesty "I use them to have peace."
"Elaborate more please."
"I have veela blood Hermione." After Rita Skeeter's article, this had become common knowledge "Even though I'm only a quarter it's still enough to give me a thrall. It affects everyone and it's incredibly frustrating." She growled "I'm not exactly the friendliest person in the world and that's part of the reason. I'm not a trophy that they can just try to win, I'm a person and I want to be treated with respect but most importantly sincerity." said this while searching for the girl's eyes. Fleur needed Hermione to understand the weight of her words "I'm cold and push people away because I want something genuine and the glasses and the ponytail was a way that I found after a lot of research that decreases the efficiency of my thrall. Is... the way I found to have a moment to be myself without needing a mask all the time." You know the real me.
Hermione wanted to hug the girl in front of her. She could see the years of pain and hurt on the veelas face. You kept your heart so high protected in a tower that you didn't realize you couldn't see the sun anymore. Never leaving Fleur's hand she continues asking.
"I don't think your thrall affects me though." I don't go into a trance or talking nonsense like Ron. She pondered the question " How It's work?"
"The thrall may lure the eyes to see a desirable being. But actions are their burden to charge. Show the desire. Never control the body. For nothing can create love but a human heart." Fleur recited her grandmother's words "It's a veela saying, we don't… we can't create emotions we only show what the eyes want to see. It's a defense mechanism, for the most part, nobody attacks something that they think is beautiful. "
"If it's a defense mechanism why I'm not affected by It?" this was incredibly curious.
"Some people are naturally resistant, it's rare but it's a possibility."
Throughout the conversation, the blonde seemed to be getting more comfortable. Now that she realized that Hermione was receptive to listening her nervous tics decreased. Difficult question time.
"Why didn't you tell me who you were when I didn't recognize you?"
"I was afraid." She bit her lip "You were one of the few people who wanted to meet me and when I tried to approach the first night here you had no reaction." quickly added." This is not me trying to get rid of the guilt, I should have said something when we bumped into the library."
"And why you didn't?"
"Because… Because I'm a bitch, like they call me The Ice Queen for a reason. I was afraid… No, I was terrified that you would hate me if you found out. But I never wanted to continue to lie to you." I love you "I put the idea in my head that you had to like both parts of me before I could tell you the truth." She laughs "It's stupid when I said It out loud now, you are my Hermione you always want to know what's under the book before giving an opinion." Her eyes sparkle "I thought I made progress before the first task and I was ready to confess but I overheard a conversation you had in the library one afternoon saying that I would be the last person for whom you would confess and chicken out." She was ashamed of her cowardice.
"I was wrong, however." a look of confusion followed her "I did confess to you in the end and even now I wouldn't change a single word of that letter."
Fleur's heart began to pound fast. This girl was looking at her in the eye, hearing all the excuses she gave for lying, and still felt the same. This is a dream.
"You still want me?" Hope. She feels hope.
Hermione was grinning from ear to ear.
"Why wouldn't I? For everything you told me you are still my Fleur… that is If you would have me."
"I want." her response was instant "I wish nothing more than that, Merlin, Hermione I'm in love with you too." You are my sunshine.
The class was once again silent. But not as uncomfortable as the first. It was the silence shared between two lovers who didn't need words to demonstrate what they felt.
"We still need to talk." by the way Hermione spoke it didn't seem like she intended to continue talking.
"I know." was Fleur's only response.
Their faces began to slowly approach the other's space. Fleur gently took the girl's cheeks in her hands. Their noses were almost touching now. Hermione could feel the other girl's breath joining her own. Her heart beating like crazy with so much warmth. They only needed a few inches to finally…
"Oh, good you two are making out." nobody had realized that Diana, concerned about the silence opened the door to spy on them.
The two witches, very embarrassed about being interrupted, immediately move away.
"Diana, my dear friend, go to hell." Fleur's words only had the effect of making the girl laugh.
"If you are cursing again this means you are ok." clearing her throat she continued "But, if you have already solved everything, you need to get out, this room is not technically allowed for students at the moment."
"Are you kicking us out of the very class you locked us in?" Hermione's eyebrows lift with the question.
"I like this one Fleur."
"Me too, very very much." turned her face, sweetly smiling, at the smart witch.
"Stop using your french romance genes, we don't have time for this, move move."
They didn't mind being thrown out of the class. If their linked hands confirm anything they are just happy.