A/N:
I got some nice reviews from people who enjoyed the Fleurmione oneshots I had put together while putting off working on other fics! So I decided to do another one, ha.
I love love love doing stories where Fleur and Hermione are just starting to get feelings or are about to get together, but decided to mix it up! This is finally a story where they are already in a well established relationship. Enjoy. SSx
Hermione was quite content. She was among her friends, she had a chilled butterbeer in her hand and she was celebrating a special occasion.
Harry and Ginny, newlyweds, had invited all their friends and family around to show them their first house. It was a modest cottage, nestled in Godric's Hollow, not far from where Harry's parents had lived.
Hermione was especially excited because her own house was less than a five-minute walk away.
Ginny seemed anxious to impress. She had cooked a tray of biscuits for the guests and obviously heavily decorated the newly purchased cottage for the occasion.
"What do you think of the new house?" Ginny asked, beaming excitedly.
Harry, with his burgeoning attempts at a beard, was showing a group of the boys the small shed where they stored their broomsticks and Quidditch equipment. Molly Weasley, over-protective as always, was upstairs with Arthur, getting him to double check this "electricity" that Harry had insisted on having installed in the house.
Hermione, along with Luna, Fleur, Neville and Lavender, were standing in the living room, observing the bold decorations that Ginny had adorned the room with.
"It is a little small," Fleur drawled, looking around with an unimpressed look on her face.
"Fleur!" Hermione nudged the blonde next to her. Fleur raised an eyebrow.
"What? It is," Fleur shrugged. Thankfully Ginny had missed the blonde's comment as she was busy showing Lavender a large red cushion with a gold lion on it.
"Play nice," Hermione cautioned, "Ginny and Harry are obviously anxious for our opinions."
Fleur pouted.
"I am playing nice," Fleur said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ginny returned to the girls, bringing the small group together again.
"So what did you think of the place?" Ginny asked, eager to hear their opinions.
"Lovely," Hermione replied, "It really suits you and Harry!"
"It is… cosy," Fleur replied slowly. Ginny frowned a little at that.
"Well… Does anyone want to see the upstairs?" Ginny asked, affixing a smile to her face again.
"We saw it earlier, so we're fine," Hermione replied, gesturing to herself and Fleur. Neville and Lavender both nodded their desire to see the upstairs.
As soon as Ginny had climbed the small, rickety stairs with Lavender and Neville, Hermione turned to Fleur again.
"I thought I told you to play nice," Hermione said disapprovingly.
"I did!" Fleur replied, "I'm not going to outright lie to her!"
"If you're not careful, you're going to be sleeping on the couch tonight," Hermione warned.
Fleur scowled, unhappy at being scolded.
"Uh oh, trouble in paradise?" Ron joked as he came in the door with Harry, Bill, Fred and Dean in tow.
"Not at all, Ronald," Hermione retorted, "I was simply reminding Fleur not to be harsh."
Bill snorted.
"Honestly, Hermione, you might be the only one who has managed to tame Fleur and her infamous temper," Bill chuckled.
He was Fleur's ex, but they had ended on very good terms. Given this, it was clear that his comment was meant light-heartedly. But Fleur still scowled further.
Perhaps Fleur's further sulking was because she knew it was true?
When she had fallen head over heels for the bossy Hermione Granger, she had found herself listening instead of dismissing. She was taking on criticism now instead of ignoring it. She didn't like to admit it, but Hermione may in fact be the one person she was very happy to have boss her around.
Fleur and Hermione had been together for a few years now, but often squabbled like an old married couple that had been together for decades. Fleur's pickiness had dragged Hermione to no less than fifty open homes before she finally agreed to the traditional looking home Hermione had found in Godric's Hollow. In exchange for having free reign over the decorating, of course.
"I have no infamous temper," Fleur snapped, lifting her chin haughtily.
Hermione and the boys laughed as Fleur effectively proved Bill's point. Hermione took pity on her girlfriend at this point, coming to wrap an arm around her slender waist and peck a kiss on her cheek.
"I love you," Hermione soothed Fleur, "Temper and all."
"Hmn," Fleur huffed, "Maybe you will be the one on the couch tonight?"
Hermione paid her no mind. She truly did love Fleur temper and all. Being in love with Fleur was like a theme park ride in the best possible way. Fleur was an incredibly passionate woman, in all areas of her life. Easily irritated, but easily delighted. She felt everything heavily. She always spoke her mind honestly… To a fault. She loved deeply. Merlin, she loved deeply. Hermione was frequently surprised by romantic gestures from the blonde. And when it came to the bedroom… Hermione had never experienced such passion. It made her blush even to think about their bedroom activities.
"Pay her no mind, Fleur," Ron counselled Fleur, devouring several of the biscuits that Ginny had laid out for her guests, "Hermione has always been bloody bossy and obsessed with organising everyone. If anything, being with you has finally got her to be a bit more spontaneous."
"Not true," Hermione shot back.
"A little true," Harry corrected with a boyish grin.
"All right, all right," Hermione waved them off with a smile. She was glad to catch Fleur smiling a little too.
A few hours later, Hermione and Fleur were walking home to their house hand in hand.
With her heels on, Fleur was just slightly taller than Hermione. Her carefully manicured hand gripped Hermione's tightly as one of her heels almost caught on the edge of the footpath.
"Do you think that will be us some day?" Hermione asked Fleur.
"We already own a house together, mon amour," Fleur reminded with a grin, "A beautifully decorated house, in fact."
"Not that," Hermione replied, chuckling at Fleur's playful ego, "Newlyweds."
"Mn, newlyweds?" Fleur replied, raising her eyebrows, "You would want to marry a temperamental woman like me?"
"Fleur, I would love to marry a temperamental woman like you," Hermione smiled wider.
Fleur nudged her playfully before pulling her in for a kiss.
"Well… You can't now," Fleur insisted, "Because then it would be so false and arranged. Proposals must be tender and spur of the moment!"
Hermione grinned. She found it adorable when Fleur got like this.
"You know, before we started seeing each other, I never would have guessed you were such a romantic… I always used to think you were a little cold," Hermione mused aloud. Fleur gasped.
"Hermione! I'm French! What do you expect?" Fleur replied, a little affronted. Hermione giggled.
"Well… You certainly proved me wrong," Hermione responded. Fleur smirked at that.
"Hmn, well if you play your cards right, I may be proving you wrong tonight," Fleur replied flirtatiously, winking at Hermione.
Hermione blushed and bit her lip. Even after years a smouldering look from the part-Veela could turn her into putty.