AN: I'm baaack and much sooner than I thought I would be haha Let me start by saying, this chapter was never supposed to happen. I was going to do what I had originally planned, but I felt like I needed more filler between this chapter and the next so here we are. Also, this means this fic is probably going to be five chapters now. BUT NO LONGER! I'm putting my foot down! haha Anyways, thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm so glad to see this new little fic has been well received and hopefully we'll see more Fleurmione non-magical AU's, because I need more of those in my life! As for my song selection for this one, it was kind of random. First, "as the world caves in" covered by Sarah Cothran (the slowed rain version), then "kill this love" by BlackPink, and finally "cloud 9" by Beach Bunny (slowed and reverb with rain. I don't know why I'm suddenly liking these kind of things lol) Okay, I'll shut up now so you guys can read.
zerodawn22: Bruh, I know I am, but what about the fic? hahahah
DutchDreams: Thank you! I love writing "annoying" Fleur lol Hermione needs to be pestered more!
Retrograderabbit: Ah, thanks! It's definitely a fun transition lol
Kud33: Ahhhhh, thank you so much! I'm so glad you like the nonsense I throw together! You guys make it so much more enjoyable to write :)
ceMR: Yessss! I seriously need more non-magic Fleurmione in my life! It's so fun to write! Hermione's gay panic is so much fun to write hahaha It's totally normal to check out your friend's older sister and think about her all the time. What could be gay about that? haha
Pam C: Haha you know I love my cliffhangers. I literally can't resist D: I just need a little break from TBT. I love that story, but it's heavy lol I need something a little lighter as a form of a pallet cleanser lol As for Chase, I too despise him and fake giggly Fleur. Thank you so much for the review and I'm glad you like the new story!
anasbell305: Thank you!
kpop1392as: Yesssss! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
Guest: There were multiple guests so I can't reply to you all individually, but thank you so much for all of your reviews! I really appreciate and am so glad everyone is liking this random nonsense :)
Chapter 2: Hopeless
It was pouring rain when Hermione arrived at the Delacour's house. Much to her chagrin, it had become tradition for her and Gabrielle to watch horror movies on days like these. She couldn't really stomach them, but her best friend adored them. She said it was her dream to star in one and be the dumb blonde to die first. Hermione couldn't even begin to understand that, but Gabrielle had always been an odd girl.
It was no surprise that when she knocked on the door the french girl opened it with a wide grin and a bowl of popcorn in hand. She had her hair up in a loose bun sporting a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black tank top.
"Took you long enough."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione scoffed as she stepped in and pulled her hood down, shaking some water from her hair. "I just had to walk through a flash flood to get here."
"And you say I'm dramatic." Gabrielle rolled her eyes as she led the way to the couch.
"Dramatic?" Hermione growled as she unzipped her blue hoodie. "Look at me." She pointed down at her soaked sweat pants. "I'm-"
"Oh my, 'Ermione." Fleur grinned as she passed by in the living room. "You're so wet."
A bright blush lit up Hermine's cheeks at the double entendre. She tried to keep her eyes on Fleur's face when she noticed she was in a pair of pajama shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top that rode up her stomach. However, the task was impossible. She could hardly be held responsible for letting her mind wander with those long legs exposed.
'How does she make pajamas look appealing?' Hermione inwardly groaned to herself.
When she met vibrant blue, her tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of her mouth when she saw the predatory look in those arctic eyes. Fleur seemed to be appreciating Hermione too even though she was hardly in anything revealing. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself when she noticed the blonde's gaze rake up and down her form in a way that made her shiver.
"You're so funny." Gabrielle shot back sarcastically, pulling Fleur's attention away from the brunette.
The younger girl showed her irritation at the interruption by throwing a piece of popcorn at her older sister who caught it with ease before plopping it into her mouth.
"Oh, a snack." Fleur chuckled as she continued to the stairs. "You're too kind."
"Merde, she's so annoying." Gabrielle mumbled as Hermione sat on the floor in front of the couch, waiting for her pants to dry before she moved to sit on the nice furniture.
"Yeah." Hermione absentmindedly agreed as she glanced over her shoulder to see the eldest Delacour send her a wink before she disappeared completely up the stairs. "So, uh . . ." She cleared her throat, turning back to the giant tv in front of them. "What are we watching?"
Gabrielle sent her friend a devilish grin as she turned on the movie. "Lights out."
Hermione gulped as she took off her sweater. "Great."
/
They were only about thirty minutes into the movie when Gabrielle had to refill the popcorn. Mainly, because Hermione kept jumping and sending the food flying everywhere. Luckily, the blonde didn't mind.
It was at that moment Fleur casually strode down the stairs. She was on the way to go grab some water, but it seemed a rare opportunity had presented itself to her. She watched as Gabrielle disappeared into the kitchen before her eyes landed on the brunette huddled in a ball on the couch.
A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips as she quietly approached the skittish girl from behind. When she reached her destination, she leaned forward, bringing her lips close to Hermione's ear.
"What are you watching?"
A yelp left Hermione's lips as she jumped at the unexpected voice. The action was enough to make the older girl burst into a fit of laughter that reverberated deep in her chest.
"Wow." Fleur wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I didn't think you could jump that high."
"You scared the shit out of me!" Hermione yelled as she grabbed a pillow and hit the still chuckling blonde in the face.
"That's not very nice." Fleur grabbed the pillow from Hermione's hand, but instead of hitting the other girl back, she threw it on the opposite side of the furniture. Then, in very Fleur fashion, she jumped over the back of the couch, smoothly landing right next to the british girl.
"There's plenty of couch, you know." Hermione grumbled when soft thighs pushed against her own. When she felt that damned blush creep back up to her cheeks, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them to try to conceal her flustered state.
It had been six months since their little incident at the pool and Hermione had been doing her best to avoid the older girl. If she was at the Delacour's house and she saw Fleur enter a room, she either avoided eye contact, slipped away to another room, or found an excuse to leave.
Things had become entirely too complicated when it came to Fleur Delacour. She knew by now she was incredibly attracted to the senior. She often found herself daydreaming about long blonde locks glimmering in the sun, that droplet of water that rolled down the athlete's tight stomach on that pool day, those never ending legs, that breathtaking smile, and those blasted magical eyes.
Everything. She was infatuated by absolutely everything that made up the athlete. It wasn't just the physical things either.
Fleur is the sweetest person she knows. Ever since they were kids, she constantly stood up for her and made her smile when she was down. If that wasn't enough, Fleur is also highly intelligent. Intelligent enough to get into Hermione's dream school, Berkeley.
Yet, it could never happen. Gabrielle was her best friend and her simply feeling the way she did about Fleur was a betrayal in and of itself. So, she had resigned to avoid the other girl.
At least it would only be about six more months until Fleur moved away. Then Hermione wouldn't see her every single day. The thought should bring her comfort, but instead, it filled her with a sadness she couldn't even talk to anyone about. Gabrielle was thrilled to finally be out from under Fleur's shadow their senior year while Hermione already missed her.
"How am I going to protect you if I'm all the way across the couch?" Fleur grinned cheekily as she threw her arm around the brunette's shoulders, pulling her from her thoughts.
"I don't need to be protected." Hermione huffed, but at that moment the creature lunged in the movie, evoking a small jolt from her.
"Right." Fleur scoffed, shaking her head. "Why do you watch these movies if you hate them so much?"
"Because Gabrielle likes them." Hermione sighed as she inadvertently leaned into the warmth of the taller girl. "But they really don't bother me all that much."
A small smile pulled at one corner of Fleur's mouth when she felt the brunette move into her. She noticed Hermione start to tilt her head before she snapped it back up. The bookworm had wanted to rest her head on her shoulder and how Fleur wished she would.
She knew Hermione had been avoiding her. It wasn't hard to figure out. It stung when she would walk in and the other girl would find any and every excuse to leave. She wondered if she had made Hermione uncomfortable, a thought that made her feel sick.
Had she gone too far? Was Hermione truly irritated with her? Had she misread everything?
Now, as they sat cuddled up on the couch, she couldn't help but think the younger girl might feel the same. Hermione did blush every time she made a little comment. Those golden eyes would linger on her a little too long when she thought Fleur wasn't paying attention and would gloss over as if she was lost in a daydream. However, even if Hermione Granger did like her back, what could she really do about it? Gabrielle would lose her mind, which was most unfortunate for Fleur and perhaps for Hermione as well.
"These movies do bother you though." Fleur mumbled as she boldly started to rub Hermione's upper arm soothingly.
'What are you doing, you idiot!?' Fleur inwardly scolded herself, but couldn't bring herself to stop. It felt too nice having Hermione to herself like this. There was no harm in indulging a bit while Gabrielle was away, right?
'What is she doing!?' Hermione thought with wide eyes focused on the television in front of her. Even though it was a horror movie playing, what was happening with Fleur was much more terrifying. She shouldn't be enjoying her touch this much. She should push the older girl away, but all she wanted to do was lean in. 'Take her hand off you! Do something besides turn into a useless puddle Granger! Gabrielle will be back any minute!'
"Th-they don't." Hermione shook her head as her heart thudded almost painfully in her chest. Whether it was from the movie reaching a scary part or from Fleur doing that thing with her thumb, she wasn't sure. "I'm not some scared little-"
Since some higher power loved to mock Hermione, it was at that perfect moment a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. A loud crack and rumble followed that shook the whole house and plunged it into darkness.
Another yelp left Hermione's mouth at the loud noise and sudden change of events. As if her body had a mind of its own, she leapt into Fleur's lap, hiding her face in the taller girl's neck with her arms wrapped tightly around a shaking torso.
"'Ermione. . ." Fleur laughed, attempting to say a full sentence, but finding it difficult.
"Not. One. Word." Hermione grumbled into Fleur's neck.
"Yeah, you're not scared at all." Fleur shot out sarcastically, but her tone wasn't unkind. In fact, she even wrapped her arms around the other girl's waist, pulling her closer while she relished in the feeling of her crush being so close. Surely, there was nothing wrong with this. It was a totally innocent and platonic embrace. "Such a brave lion."
"Shut up." Hermione pulled away with a glare that the other girl clearly wouldn't be able to see in the pitch black, but she was sure Fleur knew it was there all the same.
"Make me." Fleur replied in a soft tone that made the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stand at attention. Fleur hadn't meant for the words to come out like that, but somewhere in the back of her mind, it's how she really wanted to say them.
She wanted Hermione Granger. She had come to terms with that. What she had trouble accepting was the fact that she wasn't supposed to want her or act on her feelings. That was the hard pill to swallow.
The atmosphere had undeniably shifted as blood rushed into Hermione's ears, her own heartbeat echoing in them. She could feel Fleur's gentle breath brushing against her lips and face. When she inhaled, she could smell that intoxicating light perfume that she remembered lingering in the older girl's room.
To make matters worse, the athlete's hands had snaked their way under the back of her shirt so her thumbs were now rubbing Hermione's lower back. The combination made her feel lightheaded and increasingly difficult to think or remember she wasn't supposed to like this girl.
Meanwhile, Fleur was having a hell of a time trying to control herself. She was crossing so many lines right now. By the way Hermione's breath hitched when she said 'make me', Hermione knew exactly what Fleur wanted. She just had to lean in a couple inches and they could finally stop playing this game.
Why couldn't she be selfish and get a taste of what she desired? Just a little something to get her by so she could move past this crush. It's all Fleur wanted and right now, she didn't care about the repercussions.
She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips touching the warm flesh of the younger girl she had been fantasizing about. Hermione's skin was so velvety and warm, she never wanted to move her hands. When she ghosted the tip of her nose over Hermione's shoulder, to her delight, she noticed the younger girl smelled like the rain.
She now knew what Hermione felt and smelled like. Now, she just needed to see how she tasted. All she had to do was close the distance.
Fleur started to move in to do just that when the lights flickered back on. She squinted against the harsh brightness as Gabrielle's voice came from the kitchen.
"Thank god for the backup generator."
And just like that, the spell had been broken.
Amber eyes were wide as saucers, looking down at a grimacing athlete. By the look in Fleur's narrowed eyes, she could tell she wasn't too pleased that they had been interrupted.
'Oh no.' Hermione's gaze lowered to see how tangled up in each other they were and how compromising the position really was. 'No, no ,no!'
Hearing Gabrielle's footsteps growing closer was enough to make the brunette go into full blown panic and quickly jump out of the older girl's embrace before her best friend could see them. She wouldn't want Gabrielle to get the wrong idea about them. Or was it the right idea? She wasn't sure.
Once she was a safe distance away from Fleur, her treacherous body immediately mourned the loss of contact while her mind raced a hundred miles per minute. 'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? Did she almost . . .? Did I almost . . ? Oh, god.'
"What are you doing here?" Gabrielle frowned when she saw her sister sitting next to her very flustered best friend. "I thought you had to study."
"I was just taking a little break." Fleur mumbled. Her heart sank when she subtly glanced at the girl who refused to look at her. The moment they shared was gone and Hermione was back to ignoring her. Great. "I should probably get back to it though." She rubbed the back of her neck as she stood up.
"Right." Gabrielle narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her sibling as she moved to sit back down in her spot. "So, anyways . . ." She looked to Hermione who suddenly seemed fascinated by the blank tv screen. "What did I miss?"
"Huh?" Hermione turned to the confused blonde with wild eyes, her entire body turning the shade of a tomato. "N-nothing. Nothing happened."
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at her friend's odd behavior. "What?"
"Sorry." Hermione shrunk in on herself, wrapping her arms around her body to try to get back some of the warmth she lost in Fleur's absence. "You know I'm no good with these movies. I had my eyes closed practically the entire time you were gone."
"Guess we'll just have to rewind then." Gabrielle shrugged while Hermione let out a sigh of relief.
That was a close one. Too close. She had to be more vigilant from now on.
/
A light layer of sweat sat on Fleur's brow as she crouched down a bit, swaying from knee to knee to keep herself nimble. Her fingertips twitched in anticipation, her heart pounding in her chest as her teammate set her up for the spike. She couldn't afford to miss or let the other team hit the ball over the net before her.
They were going against their rival team and if they won, they would be going to the championships again. Everything was riding on her. Sure, she had already gotten into the college she wanted, but she wanted to go out on a win. Their team had won every year since she joined and she wouldn't let her final year be the exception. She just had to stay focused.
A smug grin pulled across her features when she saw the other girl jump a moment too soon to try to block her. She leapt at just the right time, pulling her arm back and spiking it over with all the strength she had in her. With skilled precision, she aimed for the hardest spot for the other team to get to and as expected, it worked.
The crowd and her team cheered around her, clapping her on the back while the girls on the other side of the net glowered at her. She just sent a cheeky shrug in their direction that proved to further irritate the other team. She was always good at provoking her opponents and making them react irrationally. It really helped to get them off their game.
As she looked to the screaming crowd for a brief moment, she faltered when she saw a familiar head of long brown hair. Next to her sat her sister, both happily clapping. Except, Hermione slowed her applause when their eyes locked.
A nervous smile took over Fleur's face as she waved over at the unexpected audience member. Hermione did occasionally come to her games to cheer her on with Gabrielle, but the bookworm had definitely been avoiding her, if possible, even more the last couple of weeks.
Ever since they almost kissed, Hermione all but ran away when Fleur entered the room. The only time she didn't was when they crossed paths in the hallway or when it would be too obvious when she came over. The most she got was a timid hello before Hermione found an excuse to leave. So, it was shocking to see her show up for her game.
Much to Fleur's surprise, Hermione shyly waved back while Gabrielle gave her a thumbs up. The action alone was enough to make her smile widen. Just having the brunette there filled her joy and confidence. She was going to smash the other team for sure now.
Hermione lowered her hand when she saw the blonde turn her attention back to the game, a small smile permanently pulling at those stupid perfect pink lips. She had been avoiding Fleur like the plague the last couple of weeks, but even with everything going on, she would hate herself if she missed one of Fleur's last games. No matter what was happening between them or what couldn't happen between them, it was only right to be there for the senior.
Her being there definitely didn't have anything to do with how good Fleur looked in her uniform. She also, most certainly did not let her eyes stray to those too tight shorts that hugged Fleur's curves so perfectly and made her thighs and butt look so . . .
'Stop that this instant!' Hermione scolded herself, hoping her friend didn't notice her checking out her sister. Then Fleur pulled her shirt up to wipe some sweat off her face and Hermione almost fell over on the spot. She just saw a hint of abs but it was enough to make her flustered. 'You're here to support Fleur. Not to oogle her like a piece of meat!'
"Oh man." A familiar voice broke Hermione from her thoughts. "Fleur is wiping the floor with them."
Hermione looked to the side to see one of their acquaintances, Blake, approaching. He was in Hermoine's English class and despite his looks and his seemingly dark persona, he was actually quite intelligent and friendly. He had gorgeous black hair, dark blue eyes, and that entire up to no good look although he was actually on the chess team, which Hermione was highly amused by.
"Yeah." Hermione nodded her head. "But what else did you expect? It's Fleur." A proud grin took over her features as she watched the blonde score another point. She was grateful Fleur and Chase were in a breakup phase so she didn't have to watch him leer at Fleur the entire time. For once, she could just enjoy the game with her friends.
"True." Blake chuckled to himself as he threw an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "How have you been by the way? I haven't seen you in forever."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "We just saw each other in class."
"That doesn't count." He huffed.
They now had a comfortable lead as Fleur wiped sweat from her brow. The other team couldn't block her at all and they were falling apart. It was painfully apparent.
A cocky smile was permanently etched on her face when she noticed Hermione staring a little too intently at her. Naturally, she made a show of leaning down a bit more. It wasn't her fault their shorts did wonders for her ass.
She even pulled up her shirt to wipe her face at one point and she swore she saw Hermione turn the proper color of a tomato when she did it. Those golden eyes were zeroed in on her stomach and Fleur was soaking in the attention. Admittedly, she might have been flexing a little, but it was fair game.
They were rallying back and forth when she chanced another look back at the bookworm. She just couldn't help herself.
However, the smile dropped from her face when she saw a boy sitting with his arm around her crush. Her brow furrowed, her concentration completely broken when she noticed Hermione's attention was fully on him. She was smiling at the dark-haired boy, playfully pushing him the way she did when Fleur put her arm around her. What the hell was that about?
It was one thing to hear about Hermione dating, it was another to see it happening at her own game. Hermione was supposed to be there to support her, but was flirting with someone instead. It made her stomach roll uncomfortably and set her blood on fire. The whole scene was wrong.
What would Hermione even be doing with a guy like that? He looked like he used way too much product in his hair and wore a stupid leather jacket. What was he? A biker? As if Hermione would like someone like that. It would be beyond absurd. Right?
The sound of the ball hitting the ground next to her suddenly pulled Fleur from her thoughts. She turned to see her teammates glaring at her. They didn't seem too pleased.
"What the hell was that!?" Alicia growled at the blonde.
"Pay attention Delacour!" Her coach yelled from the sideline.
"I am!" Was the only thing Fleur could think to say in her flustered state. How did she get so distracted? It wasn't like her to zone out like that in the middle of a game. Especially not when it was such an important one.
One of the girls from their rival team laughed snidely. "Perhaps if she didn't spend so much time looking at her little girlfriend, she wouldn't miss the ball."
Fleur snapped her head in the direction of the brunette girl snickering behind the net. "What?"
"Oh no." One of her teammates mumbled into their hand exasperatedly.
"You heard me." The girl sneered, puffing her chest as Fleur approached the net.
Fleur's gaze could freeze the entire room that descended into silence. She was already agitated beyond belief and this girl was adding salt to the wound. She couldn't very well storm up to the stands and push that boy away from Hermione, but she could definitely put this girl back in her place.
It wasn't the fact that the girl was calling Fleur gay or bi or whatever she was trying to say. It was the simple matter that she had the balls to talk to Fleur like that when she had been scoring left and right. She made one mistake and suddenly the other team was emboldened. She clearly didn't know who she was talking to.
"No, I don't think I did."
"Fleur, don't." Katie went up to Fleur to grab her arm to stop the fight before it happened, but Fleur shrugged the blonde off.
"I said,'' The brunette sneered as Fleur got within a foot of her. The only thing that separated the two now was a flimsy net. "Perhaps, if you didn't spend so much time trying to look cute for your little girlfr-"
In the blink of an eye, Fleur's hands were on the other girl's shoulders, shoving her so hard she fell onto the hardwood floor.
"I can't hear you down there." Fleur went to duck under the net, but her teammates started pulling her away while the opposing team went to go after the blonde.
Before things could go too far, the ref got in the middle of the two teams. His countenance was bright red in anger as he blew the whistle in the french girl's face. "You're ejected!"
Hermione watched with dread in her gut as Fleur pushed the other girl to the ground and then all too suddenly, Fleur was ejected. The entire crowd booed as Fleur threw her hands in the air just to be greeted by her coach yelling in her face. However, it didn't look like Fleur was having any of it and instead, grabbed her bag off the floor and stormed out.
"What the hell was that about?" Blake frowned. "It was just a little push!" He yelled at the ref. "Let her play!"
"I don't know what's gotten into her." Gabrielle sighed as she stood up. "She's been so irritable lately. I should probably head home to talk to her. Hopefully she doesn't rip my head off."
Hermione furrowed her brow at this new information. She really hadn't gotten to talk to Fleur much and Gabrielle hadn't said anything about her. She didn't know the older girl was on edge.
The Fleur she knew was always smiling or cracking a joke. She lit up every single room she walked into. It was only natural for someone like her to do so.
Was she going through something? Would it really cause her to act so aggressively in the middle of a game? Sure, Fleur was known to get in a fight or two, but this seemed out of character. Something must be amiss.
She cursed herself for not noticing something like that. Fleur had always been there for her whenever she was really down and here she was, avoiding the older girl. The realization made her feel nauseous. It wasn't fair that Fleur cheered her up, but she didn't do the same.
"Yeah. . ." Hermione muttered as she stood up too. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Pray for me." Gabrielle groaned as she walked down the bleachers.
"Are you heading out too?" Blake asked as he looked up at the brunette. "Don't want to see how the game ends?"
"No." Hermione shook her head. "I should probably go too. I was just here to support Fleur."
"Right." Blake sighed sadly to himself as he rested his elbows on the bleachers behind him and leaned back. "Well, I'll see you around."
Hermione didn't bother to try to decipher his reaction to her statement. She moved down the bleachers towards the back exit where Fleur departed instead of the front where her car was parked. Something was up with the senior and as much as she told herself it wasn't her business, she couldn't help the awful concern eating away at her.
When she pushed the door open and felt the crisp, cold air hit her, Hermione hugged herself. She stepped out a bit into the dark back parking lot, looking left and right. When she didn't see a familiar head of blonde hair, she turned to go around the building, but stopped when she saw the athlete sitting on a bench under a dim street light with her head in her hands.
"Fleur?" She timidly spoke up as she cautiously approached the upset girl.
Fleur felt that rolling in her stomach again when she heard that voice. She gripped her hair a little tighter and closed her eyes in agitation. She didn't need this right now. She didn't have the energy to put on a fake smile and cheery attitude for the younger girl.
Hermione was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Her head was already a mess and the bookworm would make it so much worse. She just needed to be alone so she could figure things out.
"What is it 'Ermione?" Fleur spoke into her hands and if Hermione wasn't mistaken, she sounded irritated with her. Fleur never really spoke in that tone to her. It was startling. "What do you want?"
Hermione unconsciously took a step back when icy blue lifted from soft hands to look at her. Fleur looked angry, but most of all defeated. That look had never been casted in her direction before. It was unsettling.
"I-I don't want anything." Hermione shook her head, stealing what courage she had to press on when Fleur just looked at her with that cold gaze. "I was just coming to check on you." She tried to push aside the uneasy feeling in her stomach and put on her best version of the smile Fleur always gave her when she was trying to comfort her. She was sure it looked odd on her face, but it was the best she could do.
"I don't need you to check on me." Fleur spoke bitterly as she leaned back against the brick wall behind her and crossed her arms.
"Oh . . ." Hermione felt her stomach drop. What did she do for Fleur to act this way towards her? What should she say to a response like that? Surely, she shouldn't give up so easily. Fleur wouldn't. "Okay . . ." Hermione shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Well, do you want to talk about what happened in there?"
'I'm surprised you saw anything with your little boyfriend hanging all over you.' Fleur thought to herself with a scowl as she glared at the empty street in front of her. Just thinking about the whole situation made her anger flare again.
"She was being a bitch." Was what Fleur said instead of whatever comment she had about Hermione flirting with that boy.
"Right." Hermione nodded her head to the unhelpful answer. It would seem that getting a full response out of Fleur right now would be like pulling teeth. She didn't seem to want to elaborate on anything. "Well, if your team wins . . . will your coach still let you play in the championship?"
"I don't know."
Another clipped response. Fleur was closing herself off more and more by the second. Hermione could practically see the blonde building a brick wall around herself to keep everyone out.
"Well, that would be a huge mistake. You-"
"'Ermione, just stop." Fleur stood up, her temper reaching its peak. The more Hermione tried to talk to her, the more Fleur wanted to fully lose it. She wanted to show her disgust at that greasy boy being all over her crush, but she couldn't.
Hermione wasn't with her and she never would be. It was pointless for her to be so upset and that realization just proved to make her even more distressed.
It had been a rough night and all she wanted was some solitude. Was that too much to ask for?
She may have just cost her team a trophy and even if they made it to the championship game, she may not be allowed to play and for what? This stupid crush she could do absolutely nothing about?
Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. Why did she let that stupid girl get into her head over such a dumb statement? Why did this entire situation have to be so difficult and confusing?
Hermione's face dropped as she rubbed her arm just to still the shaking in her hands. She didn't know how to handle this version of Fleur. She had never seen it before. "I'm just trying to help."
"Well, don't!" Fleur threw her arms up, directing her baffling fury at the girl shrinking in on herself. "I just blew a game and the last thing I want is to deal with you! Just go away!"
Tears stung Hermione's eyes at the harsh words, her gaze dropping to the ground to avoid angry blue. She hadn't meant to pester Fleur. She thought she could help her the same way Fleur always did for her, but apparently she was just an annoyance to the older girl.
"Sorry." Hermione sniffled as she wiped at her face. "I won't bother you anymore."
Fleur felt her heart drop like a brick into her stomach when she saw those golden eyes well with tears. She shouldn't have done that. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
She didn't mean to be so harsh and snap at the nerdy girl and now Hermione was crying. Usually, when this happened, Fleur would beat up the person who mistreated the british girl. She couldn't get away with beating up some boy for this one though. This time, it was her fault and it felt awful.
She opened her mouth to say something. Anything. Apologizing would probably be the best route, but Hermione was gone before she could get anything out.
"Merde." Fleur mumbled as she collapsed back down on the bench and returned her head to her hands. She really was fucking up quite spectacularly. It was like watching a train wreck, but she was the damn conductor.
First, she screwed her team over and now she lashed out at Hermione. She was nice enough to check up on her and she took out this anger she shouldn't have in the first place on the last person who deserved it. She blew it. Naturally.
She really should say sorry. She already knew that much even while she was still toiling over what happened. However, what could she do? Ask her sister for Hermione's number? Gabrielle would look at her like she grew a second head if she did that. Show up at the brunette's house? Yeah, right. She would look like a stalker.
She really was hopeless.
/
Hermione was normally a kind of quiet girl, but she was even more withdrawn than usual the next day. Of course, Gabrielle immediately noticed it and when asked about it, Hermione would just give her a sad smile and say she was fine. What else could she do?
'What do I say?' Hermione frowned as she drove home. 'I can't stop thinking about your sister. In fact, I have a major crush on her and I think we almost kissed. I'm being quiet because I care about her entirely too much and she yelled at me. It was quite devastating and now, I don't know what to do with myself. Do you mind asking her where she's at with us and seeing why she snapped at me like that? Yeah, that will go over really well.' Hermione inwardly rolled her eyes as she pulled into her driveway.
With a heavy sigh, she pulled the keys out of the ignition and exited the vehicle. She looked up to the sky, taking a moment to appreciate the stars after a long day as her breath came out in clouds. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe this would help her get over the older girl, even if it was painful. Sooner was better than later she supposed.
She was unlocking her front door when she noticed something at her feet. Her heart did a little jump when she saw a white rose laying on her doorstep. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before and almost stepped on it.
As she leaned down and gingerly picked up the flower, she noticed a little note attached that made a small smile form on her lips. It was simple, but it was everything she needed at the moment. In neat cursive, all that was written was, 'I'm so sorry.'
She didn't need a signature to know who it was from.
She twirled the rose by its stem with her thumb and index finger as she smelled it. So, Fleur did care and felt bad for how she acted. She even stopped by her house and left her the flower. The blonde really was sweet. How was she supposed to stay upset?
It wasn't fair. Something like this shouldn't make her knees buckle. It shouldn't be this easy, but it was becoming more and more apparent that when it came to Fleur Delacour, she was hopeless.
AN: I called this chapter hopeless more for myself, because I can't help myself. Somehow . . . it always gets angsty. It's just who I am at this point lol As I said before, I didn't intend for this chapter to happen, but as I talked in comments about the fic, I realized jealous Fleur had to make an appearance, because she's my favorite. Also, I just enjoy writing her beating people down haha As always, would love to hear your guys' thoughts on the new chapter.
P.S. Again, I swear I haven't forgotten about TBT. I just need a little break from it at the moment :)