Chapter 8 - Antique
That night, Fleur and Hermione slept together, the blonde donning her t-shirt again, and the two witches dozed off embracing one another. Fleur was laying against Hermione's chest, resting soundly when Hermione awoke. The brunette ran her hands through Fleur's hair and along her back, gradually rousing the French woman. And like a cat just waking up, she stretched long and languidly, and smiled at Hermione.
"Bonjour, ma belle."
"Bonjour, c'est une belle journée avec toi ici." ["Good morning, it's a beautiful day with you here."] Hermione leaned over and kissed Fleur's forehead and the blonde kissed the brunette's chin in return affectionately. "We should get up, eat something, and I need to finish working on the clock. I just need to set up and do some tests." Fleur nodded but didn't move, she tucked her head in against Hermione's neck, nibbling lightly and kissing the soft skin.
They held each other for a long moment until Fleur finally agreed to get up, and with her hair loose, swaying freely against her back, she went straight to the bathroom.
"I'm going to shower," Fleur teased.
"Do you want company?" Hermione asked playfully.
"Sure," Fleur called loudly from inside the bathroom. The brunette felt her eyes widen, and she quickly scampered out of bed, unaware of her foot tangled within the sheets. Hermione suddenly felt herself topple, her body hitting the floor hard, and finding herself stunned, she allowed herself to lay there for a moment. When she lifted her head from the floor, and looked towards the bathroom door, Fleur stood peering down at the brunette, her body covered in a silk robe. The blonde had raised an eyebrow, looking very amused.
"I'm okay," Hermione said, feeling her cheeks heat and quickly got on all fours, untangling her foot from the sheets. In an awkward hop, she stood up and looked again towards the bathroom, but Fleur was no longer there. The only thing left behind was a puddle of silk on the floor. Hermione's eyes widened again, and she dashed up to the lavatory. When she entered the bathroom, she was overwhelmed by steam. Fleur was standing behind the checkered glass door, her image distorted by the opaque-ness of the glass, but what caught Hermione's attention was the extensive amount of skin. The brunette hesitated for a moment, and gathering all her Gryffindor courage, she banished the clothes from her body and took a deep breath, pulling the handle of the glass door. Without leaving room for second thoughts, Hermione entered the steamy shower. She tried to keep her gaze off of Fleur's body, but she saw her figure clearly when the blonde turned and smiled, her hair wet, as she combed it away from her face with her fingers.
"Some say that if something is beautiful, it should be looked upon." The blue eyes drifted slowly along the other witch's form, making Hermione feel a rush of heat. Taking the comment as permission, she did the same, gazing upon the extensive amount of soft skin. Like an elastic band snapping, the two suddenly stepped forward and met in a warm embrace, their bodies touching fully. They allowed themselves to linger there, that way, embracing for a long moment. They didn't kiss, since that would lead to something both women desired, but lacked the time to fully savor and enjoy in a manner they both would like.
Exchanging shy looks and a few giggles, the two washed and dressed. Fleur ended up summoning some clothes from Hermione's room, which generated a startled squeak from Galan, who was passing through the hall when the summer dress came flying quickly from one room to another.
They went down hand in hand to the kitchen, and although Lira displayed a series of animated expressions, Apolline controlled her wife with a steady look. Sybelle just smiled, and Gabby for the first time in a while, was not present.
Hermione ate quickly and darted outside the house to the clock. She was there looking majestic, almost complete, only missing the quadrant for which Hermione had been re-creating the pieces. The weather was rather hot, so Hermione had allowed herself to wear only a short-sleeved shirt.
The brunette magically linked herself to the clock again, receiving a warm, happy hello. She pulled out her wand and slowly started to connect the parts to the body of the clock. She repeated a short, magic, mantra that was another attempt to get the spells to resonate together. But this time Hermione felt no resistance from the clock.
The pieces came together like within a perfectly shaped glove, even if the construction process itself had taken hours. The last toothed gear made a clicking sound, fitting perfectly in place. Hermione took a deep breath and reached for the clock's magic.
"Come on and try, I'm here to help if something goes wrong," She whispered, feeling a small boost of magic emitting from the clock. Hermione's eyes widened when slowly, as if testing its strength, the gears started to turn.
Gradually the clock began to come to life, the dull white face began to turn a soft green, with some shades of yellow. The names of cities appeared, as well as the security status of the clans. In green were the clans stationed in São Paulo, New York, Guatemala, Marseille. In light yellow and with danger level 1, were Bloemfontein and Melbourn. With the danger level at 2, in a yellow-orange were Shanghai and Atacama.
Hermione's surprise increased when the clock's energy embraced her. This time she didn't hear any hundred-year-old voices, but she sensed a presence there with her, encompassing her in a grateful embrace. Hermione felt hot tears drip down her cheeks, realizing that she had finally done it. Then a dark thought intruded. She completed the job for which she had been hired, so maybe that meant she needed to leave?
Hermione snapped herself out of her reverie. She considered whether the bond would simply be broken. Then she remembered Fleur, and that she was Fleur's future mate, the soulmate of the European clans' heiress. She felt herself begin to relax, thinking everything was bound to be fine.
When the Gryffindor took her eyes away from the clock, she noticed that there were other veela present, and some were smiling at her, as well as gazing at the clock with happiness. But one veela in particular caught her eye, for she was distinctly displeased; she did not look joyful at all. Giselle, as Hermione recalled her name, was looking at the clock with a frown, and with a quick glance, Hermione noted that the woman had her hand on her wand.
Hermione felt a strange shiver, and then noticed that the link to the clock was still active, with Hermione keeping her hand firmly against the large object.
Gently, Hermione broke the connection with the clock, smiling when the centenary artifact went on its business, marking and oscillating a little in its colors. Hermione decided to leave her protections in place, opting to speak to Sybelle about matters before finalizing the end of the magical contract.
Hermione moved away from the clock, feeling her wards hold steady when she left the invisible dome. The clock would be protected and that was what made it quiet.
She strode quickly to the mansion, walking to the living room that connected the pantry and kitchen, where she found Lira painting calmly in the sunlight shining through one of the windows. Hermione cleared her throat, and Lira, who seemed extremely focused, looked back towards Hermione.
"Hello," She greeted sweetly. "Is it almost time for an afternoon tea?" It was at that moment that Hermione realized that she had skipped lunch.
"Oh, I didn't notice the time," She admitted thoughtfully. "I need to speak to Sybelle, however, but I don't know where she is. Would you be able to point me in her direction?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Sure, she's probably with Fleur and Apolline in her office. Just head up the stairs, and go to the end of the hall, the last door on the left," Lira explained and turned back to her painting while Hermione walked away. "After you talk though, it's snack time."
"Of course," Hermione agreed, and departed in quick steps, taking the stairs two at a time. She knew Sybelle would be thrilled that the clock was finally ready. After giving a light knock on the office door, Hermione heard permission to enter.
She had never been in the office before, though it was large and spacious, in wood tones with a single wall painted in sky blue, and this same wall had a large window that looked out over the center of the village, with a view of the clock.
"Hermione, what can we do for you?" All three of them had their backs to the big window, and by the serious expression on all three of their faces, they were dealing with a serious matter.
"Sorry to interrupt," Hermione began sheepishly.
"Don't worry about it, what can we help you with?" Apolline replied warmly.
"Just, could you uh..." Hermione thought for a second. "Turn around and look out?" The brunette linked her fingers anxiously, waiting for the reaction of the three important women in front of her.
Sybelle just arched a curious eyebrow, while Fleur gave Hermione a small, reassuring smile. Together the three turned their torsos, turning their bodies to look obligingly out the window. There was a stark silence in the room.
"Oh, Hermione..." Sybelle's voice came out tightly. The brunette saw the older blonde tense, and she felt herself stiffen in response. Sybelle stood much faster than Hermione would have predicted, and she marched over to Gryffindor. Without even a second to blink, Hermione found herself being pulled into a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you very much."
"It's working!" Fleur exclaimed and chuckled, pulling her mother into a side hug. "After so long, it's finally functioning again!" Apolline just nodded, and wiped away a tiny tear that ran down her cheek.
"Everything is normal again?" Sybelle questioned, pulling away from the hug.
"The magic is stable and the pieces are working as they should," Hermione smiled, but Sybelle spotted the bit of tension on the brunette's face.
"However?" Sybelle prompted.
"However, I want to place a ritualistic protection dome around it to keep it safe." Hemione revealed seriously, which made Fleur's eyebrow go up inquisitively. "I am still not convinced that it was a mere accident, or even a one-time anomaly. I want to shield the clock with an ancient Nordic ritual."
"What will this ritual do?" Apolline asked as always, evenly.
"It is a ritual that will protect the clock from any person possessing ill intentions." Hermione then explained the details of the ritual and finally, the three veela nodded in agreement.
"Then we can do it for sure. Will you enact it today?" The older veela asked, as she led Hermione out of the office. "Come on, it's time for afternoon tea."
"I will do it tomorrow. Today I already spent my reserves of magic beyond what I can recover with only a few hours of rest." Fleur frowned, slightly concerned, but Hermione's gentle smile allayed her fears. An act that did not go unnoticed by Apolline, who just smiled, well aware of what was happening between the two women.
HGFHGFHGFHGF
When the four of them came down the stairs, Lira was already at the table with coffee, bread, sweets, and other types of savory foods. There was also milk and tea. The tea was only for Sybelle and Hermione, since the rest of the Delacour clan preferred coffee.
The interactions between the women were already good, but the pleasant atmosphere brought back by the working clock made it that much better. At the end of the afternoon snack break, they were swept up in tears of laughter while Lira excitedly related her tales of mischief during her time as a Wampus at Ilvermorny. Fleur leaned towards Hermione, while the mothers and grandmother still chuckled at the stories of the past, her hand resting on Hermione's thigh, squeezing and teasing Hermione for the whole time stories had been told. When her mouth brushed the Gryffindor's ear, Hermione knew what would happen.
"Come with me?" Hermione nodded, and discreetly the two left the room. They both missed the amused smiles of the three older women, who pretended that they had not seen the two young women flee upstairs. While ascending the stairs, Fleur smiled over her shoulder teasingly at Hermione, the veela's pupils were wide and Hermione swallowed her excitement. Apparently with the mutual attraction and the stimulation of the bonding process, meant that it didn't take long for the heat between the two witches to rise.
When Fleur reached the last step of the stairs and moved down the hall towards her bedroom, she felt Hermione pulling at her hips. Fleur's back slammed against the wall almost rudely, but anything she was going to say in complaint was forgotten by a strangled groan coming from her lips instead when Hermione kissed her neck.
Something had changed between the two, and it was no longer a matter of fighting temptation. They felt like addicts who just received a hit of something potent. Hermione's hands went down from Fleur's hips to her thighs, and in a quick movement the Gryffindor pulled one of Fleur's legs around her waist, the sundress - loose and light - easily allowed the movement. Without much thought, Hermione tucked her leg between Fleur's, applying pressure, and with a gentle rocking movement, she pressed against where the blonde needed her most.
Fleur's hands that had been against the wall moved quickly to Hermione's shoulder, and the other went to her mouth, trying to hold back the groan that wanted to escape.
"The room is just over there," Fleur gasped against Hermione's ear, but the brunette just kept kissing Fleur's neck, climbing under her ear, biting and sucking on her earlobe. Fleur moaned again, and clasped her hands in place. Fleur felt more than heard the small whisper against her skin, and in a millisecond she felt light, for Hermione had pulled her other leg to curl up against her hip.
With Fleur coiled tightly against her body, Hermione strode forward, without actually disconnecting her mouth from Fleur's neck. The veela felt a light thump on her back when Hermione placed her against the door. One of the Gryffindor's hands was latched onto Fleur's ass, the other quickly moved to find the door handle. In an incredibly fluid movement, Hermione entered, and braced Fleur against the other side of the door.
"Colloportus," Hermione whispered, and the sound of the sliding lock rang out. Hermione's hands moved up under Fleur's dress, grasping the blonde's ass with only her panties as a barrier. She squeezed with both hands and Fleur groaned, running her own hands through curly brown strands.
Their mouths came together with speed. Neither cared about the world outside, they just wanted to feel their skin connecting, their mouths linked and tongues sliding.
"Bed," Fleur sighed, when she felt Hermione press herself against her even more firmly, but the Gryffindor ignored her and started pulling the French woman's dress up. Fleur pushed against the door as much as she could, without losing her point of contact, trying to find a way to help the brunette undress her.
Hermione snarled in frustration at not being able to easily discard the dress. She pulled the blonde firmly against her, and in two quick steps she moved her to the bed, with a softness far apart from someone who had pressed the veela against three hard surfaces. Hermione hovered over Fleur lying along the bed. Her brown eyes were dilated, and the vision of Fleur there made Hermione's mouth water.
"Turn." The order came out low and hoarse, sending chills up Fleur's spine. The heiress didn't blink, instead she quickly rolled over, getting up on her knees and resting her hands against the mattress. Fleur tilted her head to the side and back, to watch what Hermione planned. The brunette's fingers wandered up the back of her thighs, and moved swiftly to the buttons that sealed the back of the dress.
"We do have magic, you know?" Fleur teased, but she shivered when she felt Hermione's fingers run down her back, silencing her. Fingers that slowly guided her loose hair to the side, giving the brunette more space for contact with the skin that was not covered by her dress.
"A gift that is so well-wrapped, should be unraveled with care." Fleur shuddered at the deep, husky tone of Hermione's voice, and she allowed herself to relax when the first button came undone. The Gryffindor knelt beside Fleur, the blonde moaning lightly when warm lips made contact with the skin on the back of her neck, moving down slowly as each button opened. She really did feel like a gift being unwrapped slowly.
When the last button was freed, Hermione returned to the back of Fleur's neck. With two gentle hands, she tugged at the blonde so that she was just kneeling, the dress falling easily by her arms and into a puddle on Fleur's knees.
The blonde sighed when she felt herself being pressed firmly against Hermione's front. The brunette frowned a little, unable to feel Fleur's body directly against her, so she pulled away slightly, pulling the shirt away from her body and throwing it off to the side. When their bodies came into contact, it was as if magical explosions occurred just below their skin. One of Hermione's hands was against Fleur's hip, holding them firmly against each other, the other hand swept from her hip upwards, past her belly, between her breasts and up to her chin, gently guiding Fleur to turn her face. Their mouths joined in a deep kiss, Fleur gasping against Hermione's, who moaned slightly as their tongues met.
Fleur turned fully and wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck, deepening the kiss further.
"Touch me," The veela whispered against the Gryffindor's lips. Hermione's hands moved to Fleur's back, playing with the clasp of her bra. Hermione pulled away slightly and looked at the woman in front of her. Fleur was wearing a beautiful lace set in a light pink tone. It was almost a sacrilege to lose that image.
"You are so wonderfully beautiful. Are you sure?" With or without desire exploding between them, Hermione would always ask if Fleur was sure. The blonde smiled at the sweet gesture and leaned over, lightly kissing Hermione's lips.
"Oui, ma lionne, j'en suis sûr. Je veux that you did me le tien." [yes, my lioness, i'm sure. I want you to make me yours.] The blonde ran her hands over her body, teasing her breasts with one hand and the other went down to her panties, playing with the wet spot, and she smiled contentedly to see the blush spread on Hermione's face until her ears turned red. Fleur put her hands on Hermione's shoulders, slowly scraping down her torso until she met the waistband of the muggle jeans that the younger witch wore. With measured movements, Fleur unbuttoned and opened the zipper. "It looks like I'm in the lead here, doesn't it?" The teasing tone seemed to push Hermione's buttons. She kissed the blonde, her hands undoing Fleur's bra clasp and guiding the woman onto her back.
"And now it looks like the tables have turned, doesn't it?" Hermione's mouth dropped quickly to Fleur's thighs, slowly teasing. Fleur just groaned and dropped her head against the pillow, spreading her legs to allow more space for Hermione. The Gryffindor's hands went up to the loosened bra, pulling it away from Fleur's body. Her hands spread over her soft breasts, kneading and teasing slowly. It seemed now that Hermione had lost all her haste, and it was gradually driving Fleur crazy.
Her mouth went up slowly to her panties, Hermione deliberately passing her mouth over the fabric, which made Fleur's hips rise slightly to try to maintain contact. Hermione's teeth bit into the soft lace, pulling it down slightly in a low taunt. Fleur's hands, which were clinging to the blankets, went quickly to her own underwear, pulling the fabric down rapidly. When the pink panties fell off the bed, Fleur spread her legs and moaned deeply as she was open, ready, and on display for her soul mate.
Hermione's mouth moved directly to her soft, pink nipples. She alternated between the two attentively, though more than once she paused to kiss Fleur deeply.
The blonde's hands did everything they could to facilitate the removal of Hermione's clothes. It didn't take long for the two of them to be naked, with fused skin, mouths, fingers, hands and souls connecting.
When Hermione's mouth started a provocative descent down Fleur's skin, the blonde just nodded excitedly, and the first contact of Hermione's tongue against her was like fireworks. From there everything intensified speedily, Hermione teased her with pleasure, pulling each moan, sigh and grunt. When Fleur came screaming Hermione's name, it was a sight to behold, the blonde arched perfectly on the bed, her mouth parted in a moan, her brows furrowed and her hands gripping the sheets. It was a lengthy orgasm and it made the blonde fall limp against the bed.
Hermione kissed her passionately; in a slow, complete kiss that made Fleur's fire light with intensity. Moments later, it was Fleur's turn to explore every part of Hermione's body and unlike the brunette, Fleur was not one for teasing, she wanted to give pure and deep pleasure to the woman below her.
The afternoon passed, as well as the night. The lovers had lost themselves, getting to know each other's bodies, talking between whispers and orgasms, they felt their magical bond strengthen, and as never before, they felt complete and happy.
HGFHGFHGFHGF
The five veela Delacours approached Hermione who stood waiting by the big clock. With a flick of her wand, Hermione broke her current dome of protection, and in long, systematic movements she began to draw large protective runes in the air. It was a simple ritual, but it required much more magical energy than Hermione typically possessed. So Sybelle rested her right hand against Hermione's nape, Lira and Apolline each touched the shoulders of the young brunette, and Gabby had her hand placed below her mother Lira's hand on the brunette's left shoulder. Fleur was simply holding hands with her soulmate. All channeled magical energy to the young Gryffindor.
"Tha mi a 'guidhe cumhachd dha na ban-diathan, Frigga, Hel, Skadi, Freya, Eir, Fulla agus Iduna, le cead bho in ban-diathan bidh mi a' dìon agus a 'beannachadh an rud seo. Cha tig olc agus cha tèid and seachad. Mar sin beannaichidh na ban-diathan. " ["I invoke the power of the Goddesses, Frigga, Hel, Skadi, Freya, Eir, Fulla and Iduna, with the permission of the Goddesses I protect and bless this item. Evil will not come and it will not pass. Thus the Goddesses bless. "] Hermione hummed the magic mantra softly in Gaelic. Slowly the runes took on red shapes in the sky and floated towards the clock, and thus the artifact absorbed the magic, and with each rune the protection grew stronger and stronger.
Hermione echoed the mantra again and when the last rune drifted to the clock, the smell of pure magic took over. The clock glowed, and Hermione knew it had worked.
"It is finished," She declared softly. "Can I have a moment just to enjoy this?" The brunette inquired quietly, and the Delacour women nodded, slowly moving away. The last to walk away was Fleur, though the veela kissed Hermione's forehead and cheek before leaving.
"I will be inside, ma lionne." Hermione nodded, and the veela turned back to return to the house.
The brunette closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as she basked in the intense feeling of pleasure for a job well done. Above all, Hermione was an academic, and to see her efforts as a magical artist unfold in front of her as the perfect repair job for a century-old artifact, well, that was absolutely wonderful for the Gryffindor. Perhaps because of her closed eyes, the relaxed posture, Hermione did not witness the clock's protection wavering, nor did she hear the whispered spell. She abruptly felt her body freeze, and immediately after, experienced a severe blast of pain, as if thousands of knives cut through her body simultaneously. She fell forward with the impact of the spell, and at that moment, Hermione Granger thought that death had finally come for her.