Chapter 10 - Alarum
When Hermione woke up the next day, she felt much better, less sore and more energetic to start the day. She took a quick shower just to feel a little more relaxed, and then had spotted a note from Fleur on the dresser and smiled as she started reading.
Ma chère lionne
I hope you are rested. I found myself with this irresistible desire to watch you sleep, and you were peaceful and so beautiful...I wish I could have woken you with kisses and shown you all my love for you, but my day started early, and though I am with a heavy heart, I was needed elsewhere.
I left your pain and healing potions on the kitchen table, please take them as soon as you can. I will go to Paris with my grand-mère, I must return as soon as possible since there are a few political issues with the ministry of magic. I'm rambling... Well, I hope you have a good day and I miss you already.
Always yours,
Fleur.
The Gryffindor went down the stairs, and did not hear any movement in the house at the time, which probably meant that Apolline and Lira were out doing something. She proceeded to the kitchen and was greeted by Galan, who burst into tears when he saw Hermione, saying that he panicked when his watch started to show that the young woman was in danger and imminent death.
Galan hugged Hermione tightly, and made her promise to be more careful. After many minutes of soothing the elf, he and Hermione settled into a comfortable conversation. The young woman took her potions, and after pulling a book from her suitcase, she moved to the front of the mansion. She had never sat out on the front porch of the house, and more than ever she wanted to watch the peaceful activity of the village. Even with the perfect, tranquil day, Hermione felt reasonably alert. She always trusted her instincts, and when she had a glimpse of the feeling of black magic, she looked around with her wand in hand, which seemed to ward off the sensation.
The brunette was enjoying the morning warmth, and started reading. It was only after several moments when she realized that someone was standing in front of her. She looked up calmly, and smiled slightly at the Veela in front of her. She was a young woman who should have been around 19 or 20 years old. Just like all Veela, the girl was beautiful, and Hermione felt herself blushing when the young woman approached a step and delicately held out a bouquet of wildflowers to Hermione. The architect took the bouquet feeling incredibly shy with the sudden attention.
"Hello mademoiselle Granger, we haven't met yet, and so I was hoping for a chance to introduce myself. My name is Beatrice Martin, and I know I may be a little young, but I wanted to ask if you would possibly accept my invitation to dinner?" The young woman spoke confidently, but when she asked Hermione her question, her tone grew slightly unsure.
"Oh, Beatrice, I am flattered, but you really are quite a bit younger than me, and it wouldn't be appropriate," Hermione said, letting her down gently.
"I thought I should try. My Veela feels your magic calling for her," The young woman explained timidly.
"I really am flattered by your boldness in inviting me to dinner, and if our circumstances were a bit different, I would probably have accepted." The young woman smiled sadly at the words.
"But not in this universe."
"No, in this universe, my heart already belongs to someone." The young blonde gave a wan smile, and nodded.
"I understand. Thank you for speaking to me just the same." The young woman stepped back sadly, and walked away. Hermione placed the flowers next to her, now feeling a little awkward with the attention she received. Eventually she resumed reading.
After about half an hour, again Hermione found herself faced with a beautiful woman. She suddenly remembered Gabby telling her that she was a potentially good match for more than one veela because of her magic. Her newest admirer, a black-haired woman, smiled sweetly and Hermione focused on being as gentle as possible with the woman's intentions.
"I made these for you," She stated calmly, pulling out a box of chocolates. Immediately, Hermione felt herself salivating at the thought of the candies presented to her, but she restrained herself when she remembered that this woman was wooing her.
"Oh, thanks very much," Hermione responded cautiously. "I'm flattered..." Hermione started, and the woman's smile widened.
"Mirela, that's my name." She spoke fearlessly, unlike the first veela of the day, this one had complete confidence in her ability to seduce. Also, she was older, and that meant experience. "Would you please honor me with your company this evening for dinner?" The woman asked, bowing chivalrously.
"Thank you Mirela, but I will have to kindly refuse," Hermione replied evenly. She was just an academic, she barely knew how to deal with all these beautiful women showing interest in her! Frankly, she didn't understand how she had gotten so lucky that Fleur Delacour had feelings for her. The woman nodded, and lowered her head in dismay. Hermione took the moment to hand back the gift of chocolates.
"Please. Even though I don't have a chance in winning your heart, I made these with care, and I would like you to enjoy them," She said, smiling sadly and taking two steps away.
"If I may ask, why me?" Hermione inquired hesitantly. Mirela looked back at the brunette for a long moment and smiled once more.
"The first moment I saw you, fixing our clock, it was like a wave of magic engulfed my body, and both myself and my veela were automatically attracted," She revealed.
"But I am not your soul mate." The statement made Mirela's eyes widen slightly, and then grin crookedly.
"They always said that you are the smartest witch of your generation." The brunette laughed lightly and shook her head. "Veela rarely have the chance to find their soulmate, so we embrace the chance to find someone who makes us feel like you did; the magnetic attraction of magic and a feeling of comfort." Mirela explained, and then took another step away from Hermione.
"I understand, thank you for answering my question."
"If you ever change your mind, just look out for me." The almost arrogant confidence resurfaced for a brief flash, and then the woman turned away and left.
Hermione's morning continued with the same strange pattern, and she eventually realized she had on a small table next to her two flower bouquets, a box of chocolate (half eaten, since she couldn't resist), a teddy bear and two books, one of poetry and one about French mythology. She appreciated the gifts, even though they made her feel rather awkward, but none of the Veela who approached her that day took their offerings back. Hermione learned that Veela were extremely chivalrous, and would accept rejection gracefully.
"Looks like someone is popular," A certain blonde Veela's voice caught Hermione's attention, and when the architect looked up, she saw Gabby and Luna, holding hands. Luna was peering at all her gifts curiously.
"And it looks like someone else finally decided to come out," Hermione replied playfully, and let out a low whistle. When she saw that the two blondes blushed profusely, she said "it's about time."
"Aw, shut up," Gabby uttered with red cheeks. Luna laughed and pecked the Veela's jaw, which made Gabby blush even more.
"Does Fleur know how sought-after you've been today?" Luna asked. She looked inquisitively at everything on the table and smiled, reaching out and grabbing a chocolate. Luna brought the candy to her lips and moaned lightly.
"Oh, this is good."
"Mirela made them." Gabby laughed out loud when she heard that.
"Oh, Hermione, Mirela only makes sweets to sell them," She protested, but when Hermione looked at her with a raised eyebrow, the young Veela felt her mouth opening in surprise.
"Close your mouth, my love, otherwise Nargles will enter." Luna shut her girlfriend's half-open mouth with a finger under her chin and laughed when Gabby pouted. Luna leaned over and lightly pinched the projected lip. Hermione saw that Gabby blushed even more, to the point where her ears and nape were quite pink.
"Mirela never makes candy for anyone. She must have considered you a good match." Gabby finally explained, clearing her throat.
"I'm going to need Fleur to explain what this is all about," Hermione grunted, and ate another chocolate. "But these are so good." Luna nodded, taking one more. Gabby relented and took one for herself. They continued talking for a while until the sound of apparition caught their attention. Fifteen meters from the entrance to the Delacour manor, Sybelle and Fleur had appeared.
Promptly, along with the appearance of her mate, Hermione also spotted a large black owl approaching in fast flight. She knew that owl, and Fleur was surprised to see that Hermione stood up suddenly and stretched out her arm, which served as a perch for the bird.
"Damkina, it's a pleasure to see you again," Hermione greeted, and the owl blinked its big orange eyes slowly. It didn't hoot or make any sudden movements. If anyone had looked closely, they would see that even its claws were cautiously holding onto Hermione's arm, carefully not to hurt. The brunette stroked the owl's neck and chest, and then removed the parchment securely tied to the large bird's foot. Damkina then took to the air again, and after two revolutions, she placed herself on the back of Hermione's chair.
"Hey, how are you?" Fleur came over and kissed Hermione's cheek. She passed her eyes between her sister and Luna and smiled.
"We're fine, but Hermione is definitely popular." Gabby said teasingly, and Fleur's eyes flew over the nearby table, inspecting everything the young woman had received.
"I can see that," The older heiress grumbled between breaths. Hermione just rolled her eyes and leaned over, lightly kissing Fleur's lips.
"I didn't encourage anyone," Hermione swore, and frowned a little worriedly.
"Veela rarely need encouragement to show interest, Hermione." Sybelle said, approaching the group. "Fleur knows that it is an honor to be courted by so many of us, and even though she feels jealous, she knows that you are true soulmates and she will control her jealousy." The scolding came calmly and Fleur felt herself blush.
"And you know very well what a jealous veela can do, Gabrielle." This time the scolding came firmly. "I will not allow you to antagonize Fleur about this," Gabby felt herself blushing strongly and nodded quickly.
"I apologize," The youngest said contritely, and all the others nodded. Hermione then turned her attention to the letter in her hands. She opened the letter and quickly read the contents. She reread it, and then sighed heavily.
"Damkina, you can go home. I'll take care of it myself," Hermione spoke calmly, and the owl hooted and then took flight. "So, would you like to see Babylon's Magical Library?" Hermione invited, and all the women present released a surprised breath.
"What do you mean, Hermione?" Sybelle asked, but her furrowed brows indicated not only curiosity but shock.
"Leila invited me and whoever else I want to take for a visit, at any time today. I think that since you showed me a completely new culture, I can show you something unique in return," Hermione explained while looking at the floor, slightly embarrassed by her awkwardness with the words.
"It would be an honor. Does the invitation extend to my daughter and wife?" Sybelle had easily decided for everyone there, and Hermione smiled widely.
"Of course!"
HGFDHGFDHGFD
A few hours later, the seven women appeared in front of the large iron gates of the library. The walls were composed of dark sand-colored materials, and the large gate was rust-red. A man dressed in a brown tunic approached, with an uncertain and curious look about him, but when his eyes met Hermione's, he smiled widely.
"Mistress Granger! It's a pleasure to see you again. The walls of the library have missed you!" The man muttered a few words in Hebrew, and the gates opened. "You are always welcome here in your home," He declared, opening his arms. "And of course your companions; Lady and Madame Delacour." The man spoke quickly and Hermione just smiled courteously.
"As-salaamu Alaykum." She greeted politely, and he responded in turn.
The other women looked at everything curiously. As they passed through the large iron gate, they came across a beautiful sand-colored structure. The walls were high, and resembled an old fortress from the times of the Crusades, but totally immaculate.
The floors were made of white stone, shiny and glossy. The main door to access the library was massive and dark brown, made of wood with bronze hinges. The man who accompanied them held out a wand-staff and whispered a few words. The huge doors opened, and even a person uninterested in books would exhale in surprise. From the walls to the ceiling, meters and meters high, the great library lived up to its name. Few people were seen walking by, and Hermione guided the group with a familiarity through the place that surprised even Sybelle. The silence in the group could be cut with a knife, it was so thick, that even Luna, in her typically flamboyant manner, was visibly focused on all the visual information they were receiving.
They walked through shelves full of old books, documents and papyri. They saw several well-dressed house elves in dark purple tunics and white gloves, as they carefully cleaned every small space where they saw dust that did not exist. The shelves ended at a long corridor, with white walls and a long dark red rug that stretched from beginning to end. There were paintings, and some greeted Hermione by name.
"I apologize for the long silence, but it is a library," Hermione explained apologetically. "This is the main library, where all the files that are available to be examined remain. There are depositories and restoration rooms all over the land. After the last burning, I think the curator learned to never again place invaluable treasures in one single room." Hermione moved to a reddish wooden door, reaching for it slowly, and it gradually turned blue, which displayed her name in gold letters.
Upon entering the room, they came upon a white office with tones of purple. There was a desk in the center of the room, and a three-seater sofa with a coffee table and three armchairs.
"Please, sit down. Then I can answer any questions." They all settled in and Hermione duplicated a chair for herself. She touched the teapot on the coffee table lightly with her wand, and it automatically began to dispense jasmine scented steam. "So...questions?" She said shyly, while filling the cups.
"How did this all happen?" Lira, who was the most curious, launched the first.
"What would that 'all' be? The library, or me here?" The question was answered with a question and Lira laughed briefly.
"Well, you did leave that rather broad, mon amour," Apolline remarked with a chuckle.
"The library," Lira amended, amused by her own impatience.
"The Library exists indefinitely. Some say it exists before the Christian year begins, while others claim it was created much later. But regardless of the year, it covers unique, and especially rare editions of material on magic. There are many famous wizards and witches who participated as contributors of the library. There are currently 13 executive chairs, and those individuals are responsible for administrative decisions to include or refuse magical theories and publications to be archived here." Hermione described everything smoothly, as if the information was something she was used to explaining more than once. And about how I came to be here, well, I had just finished my research on the nature of magic. My mistress sent my study to a close friend to carry out a secondary peer review, in order to file my request for a mastery in magical architecture to the Committee Of Magical Research." Hermione spoke demurely, though she knew she owed the women in front of her information, she always felt exposed when describing any feat of hers that could be considered extraordinary.
"CMR is responsible for the international legality of mastering, correct?" Apolline, always calm, asked with a smile on her face. "When I made my final application for Magical Law, they put me through some hellish bureaucracy just to release my international certification."
"They are difficult. Being certified internationally requires a lot of red tape, and an especially a long paper trail. However, with both our lines of work, I believe that a ministerial certification is just not enough for us. If that were the case, I could only act legally in the UK."
"I handle all international Veela law, so yes, only French certification would do very little, since our clans are scattered everywhere. Well, that explains your international certification, but how did you get Dumbledore's chair?" Apolline posed her questions with calm curiosity, though the question itself made Hermione sigh.
"When I met Laila my paperwork for the certification was almost done. She is one of the greatest researchers on magical accidents in the whole world, and was fascinated by my work." Hermione shrugged. "I was suddenly asked to come to a meeting, after that it was just crazy, I was called to official meetings and my godmother, so to speak, was Leila. She endorsed me for a seat that had been open since the end of the war, there was this massive vote among the executive members, and then I realized I was being formally invited to participate. So now here I am," She revealed, with her cheeks extremely red. An atmosphere of wonder came over the women in the room. "We are in the final steps of the procedure in archiving my book here, which formally completes the process of me accepting the chair."
"I am very proud of you," Fleur broke the silence, and Hermione felt tears forming in her eyes. Fleur stretched out on her chair and grabbed Hermione's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Anything else that anyone of them would have liked to say was cut off with three knocks on the door. Hermione just waved her wand and the door opened, revealing Leila and Morgan. The two women had been talking quietly, and they smiled when they noticed the door had opened and shown everyone in the room peering at them.
"We have an audience today," Leila commented, laughing lightly. "As-salaamu Alaykum everyone."
"Wa ʿalaykumu salam" All responded, some with greater diction than others.
"Mistress Granger, it is with great pleasure that I come to formally certify your research achievements in the magical study archives of Babylon's Library. I ask that you please change into formal attire. Your guests will accompany me, and your mistress will accompany you until the end of the ceremony," Leila announced with a wide smile on her face, and winked at Hermione. "Come on everyone, I think we'll enjoy this celebration today." Leila prodded the visitors with a charismatic smile, while Fleur just pecked Hermione's lips lightly, which made Morgan roll her eyes. Hermione laughed at her Mistress' attitude. Morgan had always been a mix of Professor Snape and Minerva, which never ceased to amuse Hermione.
Morgan summoned Hermione's official robes. They were a dark shade of purple and hung down to her feet, with long sleeves. It was to be expected that they would be rather warm, but the magical silk kept Hermione's body at a comfortable temperature.
The event went by like a blur. As it was just a formality, there was much more informal conversation. Hermione introduced everyone to the other executive members of the library, Leila being already known. The connection between the heiress and the witch did not go unnoticed, which made Leila extremely excited and happy to be part of the same clan as Hermione. The vast majority of the day was pleasant and light, and by nightfall, the women had returned to the Delacour mansion.
It was later that night when Fleur was finally able to relax with her head lying on Hermione's chest, as the Gryffindor ran her fingers slowly through her blonde hair. She was reading in a low voice her volume of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', a humorous novel that made Fleur laugh. The request that Hermione read a muggle book to Fleur caught the brunette off guard at first, but she more than happily agreed to the request.
She had finished the chapter, and she had read more than expected at Fleur's request. The veela stretched her neck, running her nose slowly along the brunette's jaw.
"So am I going to need to fight for you?" She joked, and Hermione snorted, laughing.
"As if there is any competition for you." The British woman chuckled, and kissed Fleur's forehead. "You are my soulmate. No one else could compete with the way you make me feel." Fleur propped herself up on her elbows and smiled widely, then asked, "And what would that be, Miss Granger?" Hermione rolled her eyes, and did not respond verbally. She brought their mouths together in a slow kiss, where their lips and tongues danced. When they parted, Fleur was out of breath, and sighed deeply, nestling back into Hermione.
"Hey, you never told me what you and your grandma went to do early," Hermione asked, after a long moment of silence.
"Oh, the clan elections are approaching, so we left to send messages through the ministry for all the clans to send to their voting representatives and candidates. Just the usual."
"How does it work? You said to me that your family always tries to have a candidate to run, but you never give much details."
"Well, every ten years there is an election, representatives of the clans vote for the appropriate candidates, and they become new leaders for the clans and for the coalition. So in three weeks we will hold the election itself, and veela will vote." Fleur was silent for a moment. "I'm running as my mother's second in command, and I would like for you to be there." Hermione smiled widely and kissed Fleur's lips with a peck.
"Of course I will be here. I know we haven't talked about me returning to London, but we have magic, and we can move from place to place quickly. I will go home to take on new projects, but of course I would like to see you as much as possible." Fleur slowly kissed Hermoine's neck.
"As if I could get away from you," In a quick move, the Gryffindor made the veela lie on her back, placing herself quickly between her legs. The kiss that followed was warm, leaving the two of them sighing against each other's lips, and inducing a spike of desire.
Their lips melded again. Hermione's hands went up to Fleur's chin, bringing her hands to the nape of her neck, and she pulled the blonde with her, until the veela was sitting with Hermione kneeling between her legs.
"Off, now," The Gryffindor commanded, tugging at Fleur's shirt. The French woman only laughed lightly at the frustrated tone, but the giggle died when she saw the ferocious look in Hermione's eyes.
The brunette's mouth came down hotly against the soft skin of Fleur's neck, her teeth biting without hesitation against the muscle of the veela's shoulder. The blonde squeaked, arched, and brought her hands to Hermione's back. Again, another growl made Fleur drop her hands and steady herself against the mattress.
"Hermione…" Fleur sighed between breaths. The Gryffindor's teeth left a deep mark against Fleur's skin, and then her lips flew to her neck. The bite that followed made Fleur moan loudly and throw her head back. Hermione's hands went to the front of her bra, unclasping it without looking, and the brunette just pulled Fleur's arms and bra away from the blonde's body. The veela waited for Hermione's mouth to descend upon her skin, but she was surprised to feel the brunette's hand splayed against the middle of her chest instead. Fleur opened her eyes, fogged with pleasure, and she swallowed when she felt Hermione's gaze penetrate her.
"Beg." The command came low and firm, and made Fleur moan and toss her head to the side, exposing her neck in an act of submission that she hoped was enough to satisfy the demand. Hermione's hand went up from the woman's chest to Fleur's chin, and gently Hermione urged the blonde to look at her. They stared at each other for a brief moment. Fleur blinked, and briefly Hermione's hair became a fiery red. She blinked again, and the brunette returned to normal. Hermione was still staring at the veela, and when she saw that she had lost the woman's attention, she brought her hand up to Fleur's throat. There was no pressure, but just the touch made the blonde throw her head back again and close her eyes. Hermoine's fingers tightened slightly and Fleur groaned.
"Please..." Fleur said, swallowing any attempt to control the situation. She just gave in to Hermione to dominate her as she liked. "What do you want?" The brunette asked provocatively, and the French woman moaned miserably, closing her eyes. "I want you to touch me. To make me yours, to mark me, to possess me as only you can do." The hand on Fleur's neck tightened slightly. "Please. Please..." The blonde hummed, begging repeatedly, and Hermione finally pushed her down, forcing the blonde to lie down. The Gryffindor took both of Fleur's hands and moved them to the headboard. The blonde obeyed the silent command, and grabbed where she could to steady herself.
Her fingers went over the hem of Fleur's sleeping shorts, pulling them along with her panties down the blonde's legs. Hermoine tossed the clothing aside and spread Fleur's legs with hands on each knee. The blonde should have felt exposed, but the only thing she could feel was excitement, and she willingly spread her legs so that Hermione had all the visual and physical access she would like.
"Good girl." The Gryffindor was filled with intensity. She just wanted to own the blonde, show her feelings, and especially take Fleur as hers. Hermione slowly took in the body deliciously revealed to her. When she looked at Fleur's face, her silvery blonde hair turned white, and Hermione noticed the thin, red thread that connected her to Fleur. The brunette's fingers tightened on Fleur's thighs, the blonde opened her eyes, and with a flash, her hair returned to normal color. Hermione smiled sweetly. "Please, Hermione, please I can't take any more. Touch me," Fleur pleaded quietly, widening her legs even further. "Behave," Hermione scolded lightly.
She leaned down slowly, until her mouth made contact with the veela's belly. Fleur arched slightly as she felt Hermione's body between her legs. The mouth slowly rose to a nipple, teeth made contact, and the blonde gasped and moaned. She felt Hermone travel across her skin, leaving hickey and bite marks. With each one, Fleur felt more and more wet. The mouth came down, played, and teased, and the veela clung to the wood on the headboard. She gasped, moaned, and pleaded without restraint for her soulmate to take and possess her. Hermione's mouth feasted on the inside of Fleur's thighs, marking her with bites and wiping away any moisture that dripped freely from her center to the skin of her legs.
When Hermione's mouth finally made full contact with her clit, Fleur let out a feral moan. Her hands went to the brunette's head, nudging her harder against her center. Hermione grunted with the surprise pressure, but did not stop. She ran her arms under the blonde's legs and grabbed the hands that held her so tightly she couldn't move more than a few inches. Pulling the hands away, Hermoine held them against the mattress while opening her mouth and penetrating Fleur with her tongue.
It didn't take long, and the deep orgasm building engulfed Fleur when Hermione bit the blonde's thigh hard enough to bleed. The veela moaned loudly and arched her body, and Hermione felt embraced by a wave of magic that came from her soul mate. The whole room shuddered slightly, and Fleur let out a shriek, falling limp against the bed.
"Tu m'as détruit, mon amour, je ne sens plus mes jambes," [You destroyed me my love, I can't feel my legs anymore.] Fleur grunted. She barely felt her own body, it was like she floated in a giant cloud. Hemione undressed quickly with magic and lay down, pulling Fleur against her, and the blonde sighed contentedly.
A long time later, Fleur began to nibble lightly on Hermione's skin, but when she moved to touch the willing brunette below her, screams coming from the grounds of the house abruptly caught the attention of the two women. Confused, the both mates began to dress in a rush. They went down the stairs cautiously, wands in hand. Sybelle was speaking in a low tone to a woman with reddish brown hair and green eyes. Hermione recognized her, and was puzzled by what was going on. Both Sybelle and Giselle spoke in a language unknown to Hermione, and even Fleur seemed to have a hard time following what was happening.
"What is happening?" Hermione asked a drowsy Apolline who was standing guard at the door, watching the two women arguing.
"Giselle came to my mother to talk about the elections. Normally for the leader of the coalition, only one person from each clan is nominated. My mother was nominated, and Giselle is...unhappy," The older one explained briefly. "But it's forty after midnight," Hermione spoke, frowning.
"That was the reason for the yelling," The veela replied.
"That's enough of your bullshit, Beaumont. It's late and I'm putting an end to this fiasco. If the clan doesn't want you as a candidate for leader, something that has already been stated often within these last 5 elections, it's been decided and you'll have to deal with it. Go home," Sybelle finished firmly.
"This is not over, Delacour." The proclamation came out furiously, and put all the women on the alert.
"Do your worst," Sybelle dared angrily.
The woman stormed out of the manor, livid. Hermione, who was watching everything unfold curiously, just leaned slightly towards Apolline. "Would she actually do anything?" The blonde shrugged and said she didn't know, but that Giselle had always been emotionally unstable, so she never considered her a good choice for a position in leadership.
Eventually, all the women went back up the stairs. Lira, who was at the top of the stairs, had widened eyes as she looked at her older daughter.
"Someone has been having a good night, haven't they?" The phrase made everyone glance at Fleur, who felt herself heating up in shame.
"Should I keep Dittany potion available? That bite looks savage," Apolline joked, and winked at Hermione who was now the same shade of red as her soul mate.
"Ferocious!" Sybelle called with a light laugh, and headed towards her own bedroom.