Chapter 1
It was a chilly early winter noon when three conspicuous figures with otherworldly beauty boarded off the plane. All the staffs and passerbys halted their steps in order to admire the three walking ethereal beings being presented right in front of them. Others couldn't even help themselves but openly gape in fascination. Gods, they're just too perfect!
The first person – and seemingly looking like the eldest of three – is a tall french looking woman with willowy figure, long silver hair that cascaded behind her back, pale white skin, and mesmerizing light blue eyes. She glides and walks with ease and a natural grace unlike any like it was already her second skin. Giving other people the vision of her being a real living angel descending from heaven.
The second one is a tall and lean young man wearing a seductive smirk on his thin reddish lips that easily made all the women – and a few men – within the vicinity completely swooning on their feet. He has also a pale alabaster skin, sporting a longish platinum blond hair, and amusingly eyeing the astonished crowd with his pair of hooded glinting silver eyes.
The last one is also woman looking like the latter's age. She has a silky honey blond curls that reached her waist, an unblemished milky white skin that could make people kill to have for, a voluptuous body figure with the most perfect curves that could make any man openly drool at the sight, and a pair of sultry whiskey amber eyes that shone with absolute brilliance. Though her perfectly-shaped ruby red lips drew a displeased frown.
Over in all, the crowd could only assert the most likely obvious description of the three. They were a walking temptation, that's for sure.
The three were already out of sight before the people could regain their composure and dispersed with a barely there feeling of disappointment. Inside the magnificent black-onyx car, Hermione's scowl became prominent.
"I swear to Merlin, I'll never get used to that." She grumbled, an obvious displeasure marring her usual sultry tone. "Pheromones be damned I really hate being stared at like some kind of unknown living organism to be examined on a laboratory. Or some sort of a new shiny plaything of sort. Surely if aliens are real they would definitely feel this way when being openly ogled by humans."
In the driver's seat, Draco let out a jeering smirk directed at her through the front mirror. Hermione sneered at him before rolling her eyes. "Granger, I can't believe you just compared yourself to an alien. How very... humble of you." Draco's amused drawl manage to irritate the already irked halfbreed – or is it tribreed? – even more.
Fleur suppressed a chuckle beside her, quite amused at her another tantrum yet again even though she doesn't quite understand what an 'organism', 'laboratory' or 'aliens' meant.
"Cut the crap, Malfoy. Not all of us here loves to be the center of attention." She snapped.
Stupid, stupid Veela temper.
"Why, princess, aren't you not still adept to this kind Hollywood star like feeling– being exposed in the limelight all the time and all? Surely you must've been accustomed to it seeing that at an early age you so – foolishly might I add – decided to befriend the infamous Prat-Who-Lived."
"Prat-Who-Lived? Malfoy, I quite remember myself not befriending you in my early years in Hogwarts?" She said innocently, though still feeling quite amused – if the small tilt of her lips is any indication – despite herself.
"Oh, sod off, Granger." He grumbled. "Anyways it's almost one year that all the men – hell even some women – in the wizarding world was always left openly panting everytime after being graced by your oh-so-holy presence. Just be thankful that no one had tried to pounce on you yet, after all it wouldn't do them any good if they even dare as try to touch the Golden Lioness's strand of fur" He mocked halfheartedly,
Hermione glared at him yet again.
"And not to mention you're quite a force of nature yourself, Granger." Draco slightly shuddered remembering that certain time on their Third Year. He has a little bit trauma for that you know.
As if perceiving his trail of thoughts, Hermione let out a Malfoy-esque smirk that could possibly rival Draco's. If they saw this, Lucius along with the hundred generations of pureblood Malfoy ancestry would definitely be rolling on their graves right now.
"Why, Malfoy, you seem quite convinced yourself. Say, have you ever been on the receiving end of me being that so called force of nature, hmm?"
This time Draco pulled a long face grumbling something along the lines of 'didn't know swotty buckteeth had it in her back then' and 'hate to admit it but seems like a tiny-winy bit something broke that time'.
Fleur laugh loudly though still maintaining her look of grace and perfection. "End seem'z zat'z a story fer anozheer time, Mi'nie."
Hermione smiled. Seems like her older new found girl friend had been coping up greatly ever since that tragedy happened.
After the war, majority of witches and wizards had suffered a great casualty. Many of them, like Fleur, had even lost their beloved ones. During that time when Bill had tried saving Lavender from Fenrir, the abomination of a beast-wolf had scratched him quite badly.
During his supposedly transition the cottage was raided by a group of Death Eaters. One of them noticed his labored breathing and knew that he's currently unconscious, not dead, and before Fleur could launch an attack in attempt to protect his mate the Death Eater had already send the glowing bright green light across his chest.
Fleur had been living a hollow life since then. Losing her other half is as much as bad as losing half of her life. For the nth time, she thought of attempting suicide, luckily there's always Hermione who would always beat the hell out of her and makes her realize that she needed– no, needs to live. If for not herself then for her three months old baby daughter.
Her remaining light and hope, Victoire.
Since then Fleur and Hermione became inseparable– much to Ginny's disdain and Ron's chagrin. Harry has a complicated feeling as well. Fleur had been very much thankful for Hermione and always reminds her that she owe her life. If not everything. Hermione immediately disperse the idea and tells her that if she needed a friend to rely and a shoulder to lean on- she's always available.
Not that the Weasleys resented the quarter Veela per se, but oh well, maybe they do blame her a tad bit for the lost of their family member but still.
Thank Merlin, she now seems to coping up from her painful trauma.
Draco, however, is a completely different case. During the wizarding trial only she among the Golden Trio had stood for him. With Ron being an absolute pain in the arse, the possibility of him testifying for the git was absolutely zilch, null, zero. Harry, poor little apathetic Harry, was stuck between helping her best friend and the threat of facing the wrath of the youngest Weasley, his official girlfriend Ginny.
At the end, Hermione convinced him that she could do this even without his help. So with an immense guilt he could only go back to the Burrow with a slump back and more complicated feelings.
In the end, the Wizengamot had quite taken a bite to the Brightest Witch Of Her Age – and as Draco phrase it beatifically force of nature's– undefeated debacles that in the end they had decided to release the Malfoy Heir along with a few restrictions that is. Merlin help them getting manipulated to submission by the cunning young witch- a teenager no less.
Draco is ashamed and extremely guilt stricken to say the least. He had made her life a living hell back in their school days, not to mention that she was also heavily tortured at his house and he had watched it all happened without even an ounce of bravado to help her. So when he heard that she was going to testify for him he had only thought that it was the biggest joke he had ever heard.
That time laying there on the damp hard ground of his cold cell in Azkaban, Draco has already resigned to his damnable fate.
So color him surprise when at the day of his trial, Draco spotted her lone figure being surrounded by a group of jeering older wizards. At first glance she look like a mouse being held captive in the lion's den.
But at the end of the trial, Draco could feel his jaw dropping on the ground.
How did he even forget that she is the ferocious lioness herself, defeating a bunch of kittens to submission is nothing but a walk on the park for her. Really, such a force of nature. That's Hermione Granger for you.
So after his release the foremost thing that Draco did was to seek the witch and ask for her forgiveness. Even it took him his whole lifetime waiting, he would gladly wait for it. She's worth the wait anyways.
Contrary to his expectations, the whole lifetime thing didn't happen because it only took him four and a half hours, surrounded by five or six empty bottles of Firewhiskey, with him ended up being a blubbering mess (the horror!) to get his pardon from her. He even gained a little bit more precious if he's to say. And that is, Hermione's friendship.
She might have a tad bit affinity for lost causes, Hermione mused to herself not noticing that the black-onyx car they're riding had already halted in front of a tall silver-white gate surrounded by golden brown vines, adding to the beautiful aesthetic.
Hermione only notice the change of surroundings when Fleur beside her nudge her elbow. Her confusion was replaced by a large intake of breath at the sight of a three story breathtakingly gorgeous – almost castle like – white villa in front of her.
Draco let out an amused snicker beside her and she glares at him. He grinned, "So, what do you think, Granger?"
Hermione masked her astonished expression, haughtily eyeing him. It wouldn't do her any good if this pretentious arrogant prick deemed her an ignorant swine of sort. "Hmp, the breath of fresh scenery is a nice change so I think it was kinda... nice per se."
No! Bloody hell! It's oh so bloody perfect for Merlin's sake!
Truly the huge villa in front of her is quite a sight to behold even more so than the infamous dark and broody Malfoy Manor. But she wouldn't admit it till the day she die though, Malfoy's ego is enough to fill the vast sky.
Draco let out a knowing smirk, "If you say so, Granger. A few rainbow farts here and there wouldn't hurt you, you know. But in my case, I don't need any of that 'cause I'm already aware how magnificent I am in your heart, love."
"Dream on."
"Only if you're the one starring, dahling." He wiggled his eyebrows, a leering smile on his face.
"You're gross, Malfoy." She disdainfully eyed him up and down. "Really."
"You wound me Granger, don't you fantasize me a bit?"
"Whatever keeps you asleep at night, prick."
"Getting cocky aren't we now, Granger?"
"Must be you Slytherin git rubbing it off of me."
"Oh c'mon admit it, I know you also love me so much, Granger."
His dazzling smile and ethereal face blinding her for a moment before she rolled her eyes at him yet again. She mused to the fact that her eyes haven't stuck on her upper lid yet in how many times she had rolled her eyes at him.
"Egoistical prick."
"Stuck up smarty-pants."
"Pretentious git."
"Know-it-all buckteeth."
"Ferret!"
"Beaver!"
They both glared at each other.
"Enough width dzee iztaring contest, keedz." Intervened the oh so amused Fleur.
"WHO'S STARING WHO?!" They both exclaimed.
"WE'RE NOT HAVING A STARING CONTEST!" They do that most of the time by the way.
"AND WE ARE NOT KIDS!" Yeah, damn right.
Fleur was amused if she didn't knew anything better she'd think that this two might've been twins or siblings with telepathic ability of some sort. Base on their interactions they could've mistaken as one by others that's for sure.
"Zsure, zsure ye're not iztaring at each other." She chuckles when both had still their eyes narrowed at her. "Eend ye're not keedz anymore. Yez."
"Humph!" They both harrumphed.
Oh Circe, coaxing big kids is sure to be a completely different level pain in the arse. Fleur thought, already dreading this day. Or her whole stay for that matter.
A/N: So, hullo there my lovely daffodils! I hope you like my story! By the way, I do so kindly apologize for any wrong use of grammars if there's any. Seeing that English language is just basically my second language I hope y'all understand this poor ol' me.
So any thoughts my lovely daffodils? If there's any then just kindly review!