AN: As promised, here is the final chapter of Flowers. It turned out a lot longer than I thought it would be haha Not just this chapter, but the whole story. I think I originally planned for only three chapters or so, yet here we are. Thank you to everyone who still read this story even after I took forever to update lol As for my song selection, I literally listened to so many random ones while writing this. I guess the main ones are deju vu (slowed) by Olivia Rodrigo, Hym for the Summer (slowed + reverb) by Coldplay, and Still Falling For You (slowed + reverb) by Ellie Goulding. Anyways, hope you guys like the last chapter :)
Pam C: Thank youuuu. It's so good to be back :) Hopefully this update was quick enough lol I did have about 40% of it written when I posted the other chapter. I had initially planned for all of this to be in the last chapter, but it was getting entirely too long :)
CigamWolf: Thank you so much. I'm happy to be back :D
MissFoxJSV: Omg, your review was so nice and thoughtful. I am truly honored :) As for the whole friendship with Hermione and Gabrielle, I think it's easy for me to write it this way, because it's a similar relationship to what I have with my own best friend. At this point, Hermione and Gabrielle are practically family and although Gabrielle will take priority at certain points, Fleur definitely will too. Home girls just need to find a balance lol Thank you again for your review. No one has described my writing like that before. If you haven't written anything yourself, maybe you should try since you have a good way with words already :) Just throwing that out there. You can throw it right back if you want :)
bechloeorbhloe: Yessssss. Gabrielle got out that anger first, but she came around. Thank the lawd
Chapter 7: Bloom
After Gabrielle left, it took Hermione one hour to get ready and another thirty minutes to talk herself into actually heading over to the Delacour's house. She had spent so long telling herself that this thing between her and Fleur could never happen, that it never occurred to her what she would do if it could. She didn't know what to do now that the only obstacle was talking to Fleur herself. What was she going to say? What was she going to do?
She opted on walking to delay the inevitable instead of using her car. Maybe that would give her time to work out what she was going to say. Perhaps, her hands would stop shaking by the time she got there and she wouldn't feel like she was going to vomit. Fresh air, yeah, that's what she needed.
Much to her chagrin, the jitters and that feeling of wanting to vomit intensified when she got to the Delacour's driveway. Fleur was in that house.
Fleur. The embodiment of perfection. The girl that was completely out of her league. The girl she was going to finally tell how she felt. The girl she knew since she was a child.
"It's just Fleur." Hermione mumbled. "You have this. Worst case scenario, she tells you she doesn't feel the same, your heart is completely broken forever, and you have to watch her date other people at Berkeley. No big deal."
Hermione shook her head at her own pessimistic view as she hesitantly started walking up to the front door. It wasn't until she was passing a white truck in the driveway that she paused. It looked vaguely familiar.
It took a minute for it to click in her head, but when it did, she started spiraling in a whole new way. Chase.
"Brilliant." Hermione groaned to herself, throwing her head back. Of course, she gets Gabrielle's blessing and Chase comes back into the picture. Fleur and her had just made out the night before and the athlete had already gone back to her highschool sweetheart.
Hermione didn't stand a chance against the gorgeous man. He and Fleur had dated on and off for forever. Of course, he would come running when Fleur came back into town. Fleur had probably already forgotten about her.
Why had she even bothered to make the dreaded walk here? She couldn't compete with Fleur's super attractive, idiotic boyfriend. They always found a way back to each other. Why would it be any different now? Her coming over here had been pointless and she had been too late.
She started to turn around, completely and utterly defeated, her heart dragging on the ground when she heard raised voices coming from inside the house. They were loud enough to make her pause in her steps and furrow her brow. Was that Fleur and Chase?
Against her better judgment, Hermione turned back around. Curiosity got the better of her when they showed no signs of stopping, her feet automatically carrying her to the slightly ajar front door. She peeked her head inside just enough to see Chase's muscular back and Fleur's annoyed face.
"I told you, we're over." Fleur grumbled with crossed arms. "You shouldn't have come here."
"No, you said you needed space." He snapped back. "That is completely different from saying we're over."
"What does it matter now?" Fleur threw up her hands. "I've just told you I'm not interested and I have my eye on a girl-"
"You're just confused!" His voice grew louder and Fleur looked increasingly more irritated by the second. "You're going through a-"
"Don't you dare say I'm just going through a phase." The french girl seethed, stepping closer to the baseball star. "Being a bigot isn't a good look."
Hermione felt a wave of anger wash over her. The pure audacity of Chase to reduce what happened between her and Fleur to just a phase, pure confusion, was astounding, even for him. His ego truly knew no bounds.
At least Fleur was standing up for herself. For them. That had to count for something.
"I'm not a bigot." Chase puffed his chest defensively. "I just know you. You don't-"
"You clearly don't know me at all!" Fleur turned her back, heading towards the stairs while Hermione felt the anger building in her chest the longer she listened to him. "Just go!" She waved her hand at the door.
"No!" Hermione watched as he stomped his foot petulantly. "We're not done here!"
The brunette couldn't help rolling her eyes at how childish he looked. That was the guy Fleur spent so long with? A guy who couldn't take no for an answer?
While hope was renewed for her, she still felt agitated that Chase was there, getting in the way like he always did. She had to give it to the man. He had impeccable timing, but that was the only thing she would give to him. He clearly had no respect for Fleur.
"I think we are." Fleur replied dismissively.
"Don't walk away." He grabbed Fleur's elbow, earning him a scathing glare from the french girl. "If you're leaving me for some girl, at least have the balls to tell me who it is. I have the right to know-"
"Actually, you don't have the right to anything." Fleur sneered. "And we would have to be together in order for me to leave you. We broke up a while ago. You're just too stubborn to let me go."
He frowned in response. "You can't really expect me to accept this."
"I really don't give a fuck if you accept it or not." Fleur tried to pull her elbow away, but his hold was firm, evoking a sigh from her. "Let me go, Chase."
Hermione gripped the door tightly, trying to stay out of the fight, but was finding it difficult to do so when Chase wouldn't release Fleur. She clearly wasn't interested. He had no right to force himself onto her.
"No." He replied stubbornly. "Not until you talk to me."
"Chase . . ."
When Fleur tried to relinquish his hold a second time, but he still refused to let go, something finally snapped in the brunette. Before the nerdy girl knew what she was doing, she stormed into the house, stomping up to Chase from behind.
"She said to let her go." Hermione stepped in, grabbing his bulging bicep.
The second Hermione's hand made contact with his skin, Chase threw his elbow back to shake off whoever had grabbed him. In an unfortunate turn of events, due to their height difference, the sharp part of his elbow slammed right into Hermione's eye, sending the brunette crashing to the ground.
Hermione really wished she was more coordinated. Perhaps, if she was, she would have regained her footing or been quick enough to put out her hands so her face wouldn't be introduced to the Delacour's hardwood floors. Unfortunately for her, her cheekbone met the cold floor before she tumbled into the base of the kitchen island.
Fleur whipped around at the sound, her eyes widening when she saw her childhood crush in a jumbled mess on the floor. "'Ermione!"
"Oh fuck!" Chase was just as shocked as everyone else in the room, his face suddenly pale and apologetic. "I-I'm so sorry." He stuttered. "I didn't mean to. I didn't see you, I-"
Fleur kneeled next to the brunette sitting up with a grimace, assessing the damage done before turning around to glare at Chase.
Fire filled Fleur's veins as she stood up to face the petrified athlete. "You 'it 'er!"
"It was an accident!" He held his hands up, stepping away from the fuming french girl. "Are you okay, Hermione?" He looked over Fleur's shoulder with a concerned look on his face.
"Don't talk to 'er!" Fleur shoved him, causing him to stumble back.
"Fleur, I didn't-"
"Fleur." Hermione spoke up, attempting to calm down the older girl who looked like she was about to pummel the jock. "It was an accident." She tried to deescalate the situation before it got any more out of hand than it already had. She didn't want Fleur getting hurt on account of her and Chase didn't look like he was trying to fight.
Fleur looked over to Hermione with icy eyes. "I don't care."
"I should go." Chase headed towards the door, being careful not to turn his back on the volleyball star. Everyone knew Fleur had a mean right hook and he did not want to be on the receiving end of that.
"Yeah, you think?" Fleur sneered and before she could rip his head off, Chase ran out the door with his tail between his legs. The second the door closed, Fleur turned around, zeroing in on Hermione. "What were you thinking?" Fleur scolded the nerdy girl shrinking in on herself under that terrifying look.
"He wouldn't let you go and I thought-"
"You thought what?" Fleur frowned. She had no idea what had gone through Hermione's brain when she grabbed Chase. She shouldn't have intervened. Now, she was injured and Fleur still felt panic coursing through her veins at the turn of events. "That you were going to take down a six foot five man?" She scoffed at just the mere notion of it.
"I don't know." Hermione mumbled, pulling her knees to her chest and ducking her head to avoid that angry look. She didn't think Fleur would turn on her like this. She was just trying to help, but once again, Fleur was inexplicably angry at her for trying to be there for her. It seemed like she couldn't do anything right when it came to the older girl. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . . I just . . . I don't know . . ." She trailed off, not sure what to say anymore.
Guilt flooded Fleur's entire system when she noticed Hermione withdrawing into herself at her harsh words. She hadn't meant to lash out at the british girl. She was just startled.
Hermione had gotten hurt because of her and the thought of Hermione getting hurt terrified her. She hated seeing her in pain. It wounded her just to know Hermione was hurting and now she was going about this the wrong way. Her temper wasn't helping anything. It was just making this worse.
'You're blowing it. Again.' Fleur thought to herself as she turned her back to the quiet girl. She needed to calm down and get her head on straight. This wasn't how she should be handling the situation.
"I'm sorry." Fleur let out a breath, her shoulders sagging. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you." She muttered. "I just . . ." She turned back around to see Hermione watching her with those doe eyes, resembling a kicked puppy. "You scared me."
Hermione furrowed her brow at the admission. "I scared you? He was the one who . . ." She let out a breath, trying to wrap her head around this whole messed up situation. "I don't understand."
"Yes, 'Ermione." Fleur nodded her head, a sad smile pulling at her lips. "As hard as it may be for you to believe this, you scare me. Seeing you hurt, well . . . it terrifies me, really. I don't think you understand . . ." She licked her lips. She told Gabrielle she wasn't going to back off a couple hours ago and she was going to be true to her word. It was time Hermione really understood what she meant to her. "The power you hold over me."
The atmosphere became tense as the words ran through Hermione's head over and over again. The thought that she had the same power over Fleur that Fleur had over her never even crossed her mind.
She's Fleur Delacour. Star player and captain of the volleyball team. The girl who everyone wanted, but could never obtain. Yet, Hermione held power over her.
Fleur always seemed so cool and collected. She rarely saw the blonde frazzled, let alone scared. And it was all because of her?
A grown man yelling at her and grabbing her elbow didn't frighten Fleur, but she did. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest at the thought. So, this is how Fleur felt. The exact same way Hermione did. It felt almost too good to be true.
When Hermione didn't say anything, Fleur let out a sigh. Of course, the bookworm would say absolutely nothing to her confession. Why did she expect anything different? Hermione looked like she was lost in her own world right now. She wouldn't be surprised if she ran away again.
If she was going to run off, Fleur was going to at least make sure that her eye was tended to first. With defeat hanging heavy in her stomach, she cast her head down and went to the freezer. She took her time grabbing an ice pack before returning to the kitchen island, crouching in front of the brunette.
"You okay?" She asked softly.
Hermione wasn't sure if it was from getting hit in the head pretty much twice in a row, but for the briefest of moments there was a flash. For a fleeting second, she saw Fleur as that same young girl crouching in front of her in the school cafeteria after pushing that nasty boy to the ground.
The blonde had that same look in those arctic eyes and it was like Hermione was hit with an epiphany rather than an elbow. She really looked at her the same way now as she did then. Had these feelings always been here? How did she not see it? Why did it take someone hitting her for it to come to her?
Unbeknownst to the nerdy girl, a smile slowly formed on her face while she looked at the older girl dumbly. Even now, even when she ran away, Fleur was there.
Although Fleur appeared perfect, Hermione knew she had her flaws. But Fleur was loyal and Fleur was true. She always looked out for Hermione. Why did she doubt the french girl for even a moment?
Fleur felt this way for her for this long and she was really that stupid to not notice. She thought it was just mild curiosity or flirty banter that Fleur was known for, but it had been something more this entire time. She felt elated at the revelation. Could one person really be this lucky?
"'Ermione?" Fleur furrowed her brow in confusion when Hermione just sat there silently, smiling at her. How hard did she get hit? Perhaps, she should get her to the doctor to get checked out. "Do you need-"
Hermione wasn't sure what came over her, but before she could stop herself, she reached out. In one swift movement, she curled her fingers around the back of Fleur's neck and pulled her into a kiss.
Fleur almost fell over at the action, needing to put one hand on the ground to keep her balance. Her eyes were wide as her brain had trouble registering what was actually happening right now. This couldn't be actually happening this easily. Nothing was ever this easy with them.
Then Hermione pressed her lips a little more firmly to hers, reaffirming that this was real and Fleur all but melted into the kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed as her other hand released the ice pack in favor of tangling it in long wavy locks.
She leaned in, her body relaxing as she let out the breath she had been holding since Hermione ran the night before. She came back and she wasn't running after her confession. And if she thought kissing Hermione when she was tipsy was good, it was nothing compared to kissing her completely sober.
The way Hermione's thumbs stroked her neck and the gentle way she kissed her, made her feel weak. Something many would never dare to describe her as, but when it came to the younger girl, she was in fact that. Hermione was her achilles heel and always would be.
All too soon, Hermione was pulling away, leaving Fleur to lean forward a bit, chasing the feeling of the other girl breathing into her. Gentle hands held her back as a soft laugh made bright sapphires finally open again to see Hermione looking at her with a shy smile.
"How hard did you hit your head?" Fleur couldn't help asking breathlessly.
"Sorry." Hermione blushed. "I-"
Fleur licked her lips with a content sigh. "Don't ever apologize for that."
Hermione shook her head, biting her lower lip with that cute smile that made Fleur crumble.
"Why did you come here?" Fleur asked quietly, moving stray strands of dark brown hair from Hermione's face, and tucking it behind her ear. She refrained from grimacing when she saw how red the skin around Hermione's eye and cheekbone had already become. She would have to make Chase pay for that later.
"Why do you think?"
"I don't know." Fleur sat back on her heels, a playful glint in her eyes. She knew why Hermione was here, that kiss made it clear enough, but she wanted to see that bravery come out to play again.
Hermione rested the back of her head against the island, an exasperated sigh leaving her mouth. Fleur always loved teasing her. She was a fool to think things would be any different now. "Come on, Fleur. I think it's fairly obvious."
Fleur shook her head, challenging the younger girl to finally say what has been on the tip of both of their tongues for years. She wanted to hear Hermione say it. She needed to. "You'll have to spell it out for me. You know how dim witted I am."
"We both know that's not true." Hermione scoffed while Fleur just sat there quietly, looking at her expectantly. She felt her heart accelerate in her chest when Fleur tilted her head, giving her that look that said 'I'm waiting.'
She took in a shaky breath, her gaze softening as she reached out her hand to touch Fleur's. She couldn't hold back the blush that burned her cheeks as she looked down to their fingers grazing. "I came for you. I . . ." She cleared her throat, hating that she sounded so meek in front of her crush. "I didn't like how I left things last night."
When Hermione brought her gaze back up to Fleur, she saw a look of adoration shining in those bright sapphires. It didn't seem like a whole lot, but the french girl knew this was a step in the right direction. They were finally getting closer to where they both wanted to be.
"Me either." Fleur agreed, squeezing Hermione's hand.
Hermione went to move forward, but faltered when a dull pain invaded her eye socket. Chase really did get her good.
Fleur frowned, noticing the wince of pain. "You really need to ice that." Without hesitation, she picked the ice pack back up and gingerly placed it against Hermione's abused eye.
"Thanks." Hermione mumbled, taking the ice pack from Fleur and holding it up herself.
"Perhaps we should move to the couch." Fleur tilted her head in the direction of the white sofa. "I don't think the floor is the appropriate place for this conversation."
Fleur pulled the petite girl up with ease, refusing to relinquish her hold even after they got settled on the couch. Hermione gave an inquisitive look down to their hands before looking back to Fleur.
"Just in case you try to run off again." Fleur winked.
A laugh bubbled from Hermione's lips in response. "That's fair."
"So . . ." Fleur idly ran her thumb over Hermione's knuckles, evoking a soft shudder from the nerdy girl.
Hermione let out a shaky exhale, nervously biting her lower lip. "So . . . I'm sorry that I left last night. I was just so worried about Gabrielle and-"
"So you weren't just trying to hook up?" Fleur asked with a raised eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye that the other girl missed. She was trying to break the tension and put the other girl at ease. They were still the same people after all. They were just finally being honest.
"Of course not!" Hermione looked at the volleyball star, mortified at the thought. "I would never . . . Fleur, I . . ." She gripped the ice pack nervously. 'It's now or never, I suppose. Just spit it out.' "I like you." She felt like she was going to be sick from uttering those words. This was it. It was all on the table now and Fleur could take it or leave it. "A lot."
"Thank god." Fleur smirked, appearing aloof even though she felt anything but. It was hard to believe those words really came from Hermione Granger's mouth. She may not appear to be so, but she was also a nervous wreck. It was only natural for her to revert to her sarcastic nature. "I was starting to worry you kiss all of your friends."
Hermione shook her head with a roll of her eyes, leaning her head against the couch. "Why do I even bother?"
"'Ermione," Fleur suddenly became serious. It was her turn to be honest with the british girl and no matter how much she had tried to prepare for this, she didn't think she would ever truly be. "If it wasn't already blatantly obvious, which I thought it was," Fleur gave Hermione a pointed look. "I really like you too and I'm sorry about last night. That's not what I wanted to happen." She mumbled the last part forlornly.
Hermione snapped to attention, her heart sinking. What was Fleur trying to say? "What?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that." Fleur shook her head, backpedaling, and inwardly berating herself for her poor choice of words. 'Stop blowing it! Use your words! Better words.' "I mean . . ." Fleur let out a ragged breath. "That wasn't how I meant for our first kiss to happen."
"Oh?" Hermione felt a little flutter in her chest replace the ache that almost took over. "How did you mean for it to happen?"
"A long time ago." Fleur smiled, ducking her head bashfully in a very non Fleur Delacour like manner. "Probably grade school or when I did your nails." She took a moment to think about it before she continued. "Maybe after ice cream. Most definitely when the power went out."
Hermione felt a blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks once more. "You've thought about it that many times?"
"'Ermione . . ." Fleur inched herself closer to the other girl. "I've wanted you since I've had the ability to want something. I just wasn't sure you felt the same." She finished sadly.
"Why would you want me, when you could have anyone you want?" Hermione couldn't stop her insecurities from oozing out. Even after hearing these things come straight from Fleur's mouth, it was still hard for Hermione to wrap her head around the french girl wanting her. Nerdy, average, Hermione Granger.
Fleur was smart, sweet, charismatic, and absolutely gorgeous. People fell over themselves just to get her to look their way. What could she possibly want with her?
"I mean, you could have someone like Chase. Athletic, good looking-"
Fleur was puzzled by Hermione's rambling. Did she not listen to a word she just said? How could Hermione think Chase could compare to someone like her? Hermione was witty, funny, even though her sense of humor was more on the dry side, and absolutely beautiful. What wasn't there to want?
"I don't want him." Fleur shook her head. "Or anyone else for that matter. You're beautiful, kind, smart, and sometimes infuriating." She said the last part with a charming smile. "What more could I want?"
"You don't mean that."
"No, I do." Fleur put on a fake solemn look. "You are downright infuriating sometimes."
"Fleur!" Hermione whined. "I'm serious."
"Sorry, it's just hard to take such a stupid question seriously." Fleur shrugged.
Hermione tried to glare at the blonde girl, but it was hard to be irritated with her when that stupid beautiful smile was threatening to take over her face. "Stop it." Hermione struggled to keep a straight face.
"I'll stop when you stop being ridiculous and insecure for no reason. I mean, have you looked at yourself lately?" Fleur looked Hermione up and down appraisingly, giving Hermione the confidence boost she desperately needed. "You look positively delectable. Good enough to eat." She threw a wink in for good measure.
A smirk found itself on Hermione's face as she replied, "I bet you say that to all the girls you give flowers to."
"You're the only person I give flowers to." Fleur replied seriously.
"I don't believe that." Hermione mumbled, her heart skipping a beat at the confession.
"It's true." Fleur's gaze flickered to Hermione's lips. "I want you."
The intensity in Fleur's stare was enough to make Hermione's brain and heart halt all together while her breath caught in her throat. The only thing she could manage to get out was a soft, "you can have me."
A small smile pulled at Fleur's lips as she started leaning in closer. "Can I keep you?"
"Only if you never quote Casper again." Hermione sniggered.
"You liked it though." Fleur purred as her lips got close enough to brush Hermione's, her hand leaving Hermione's so it could settle on her hip.
"No," Hermione shook her head. "I just like you."
"Good enough for me." Fleur mumbled as she brought her lips to Hermione's in a deep kiss.
Even though Hermione was prepared for this kiss, the ice pack still slipped from her hand, landing on the ground with a soft thud. She was sure she would melt the ice almost immediately anyway with how her body heated up. Just one touch from the older girl had her entire system going haywire.
The point was driven home when Fleur slid her hand from her hip to her lower back, beneath the thin fabric of her white shirt. A content sound escaped her lips as her hips automatically moved towards the athlete when Fleur's fingers rubbed the warm skin. The action was so simple, but goosebumps still followed wherever her bare skin touched Hermione's.
The feeling was overwhelming and Hermione just needed something to cling to. She settled on Fleur's shirt, gripping the front of it tightly to pull the taller girl so close to her that Fleur was practically towering over her.
Fleur was more than happy with the arrangement, opting to help Hermione in her venture by pulling the brunette flush against her Her reward came in the form of Hermione biting down on her lower lip, a smile forming on the bookworm's face when a soft groan left Fleur's mouth that Hermione captured in her own. The younger girl swallowed the sound, tugging Fleur's shirt until the taller girl got the hint.
In one swift movement, Fleur straddled Hermione's lap, moving her hands to Hermione's long strands. She felt that familiar tug in the pit of her stomach when Hermione boldly grabbed her hips, aggressively pulling her closer. She had to refrain from taking the brunette right there when Hermione dug her fingertips into her skin. She could feel the need and desperation coming off of the girl beneath her in overwhelming waves and she couldn't get enough of it.
She wanted more. She wanted everything. Everything she had been deprived of for too long. She simply wanted Hermione.
She moved her lips from Hermione's down to the supple skin on her neck, sucking and nipping on the flesh in a way that made the brunette hiss and subtly move her hips into Fleur.
"Fleur . . ." Hermione breathed softly, her head falling back against the couch as the french girl devoured and marked her.
Her breathing was becoming increasingly more ragged as her hands idly ran up Fleur's back under her shirt. She noticed with satisfaction that when she dug her nails into the blonde's upper back and dragged them down, Fleur slightly arched her back and then bit down on her shoulder.
A growl left Fleur's lips as she pulled away from Hermione's neck, grabbing a fist full of long brown locks, pulling Hermione back to her lips in a heated kiss. Her hips moved into Hermione's, creating the most deliciously frustrating friction, searching for release she wouldn't get with her clothing on.
From every movement and kiss, Hermione could tell what Fleur wanted. She knew she didn't have the strength to say no to the french girl. Not anymore. So, with hands that moved more surely than she felt with a goddess above her, Hermione brought her fingers to the button of Fleur's shorts, unbuttoning them with a snap.
The action was enough to make Fleur pull back a little, her eyes cloudy, questioning, and full of lust. "Are you sure?" She asked with swollen lips. "I don't want your first time to-"
"Fleur . . ." Hermione tried to hold back her laugh at Fleur's bold assumption, especially after last night, but it still slipped out a bit. Fleur really thought she was still a virgin. "This isn't my first time."
A scowl overtook Fleur's face at this new information. When did that happen? And who in the world thought they could take Hermione's virginity? "Who-"
Hermione promptly shut the older girl up with a deep, slow kiss to soothe her bruised ego before pulling away. "That hardly matters right now. What matters is if you want to . . ." She trailed off, raising an eyebrow, looking down to the hem of Fleur's shorts she was tugging on.
A new wave of heat ran through Fleur's body, all jealousy forgotten when she looked down to see Hermione moving her hand into her shorts. She couldn't help shuddering at the feeling of the brunette's deft, warm digits running down the smooth skin of her lower abdomen before making their way to her underwear. It didn't matter who Hermione's first was when she would be her last.
"Don't stop." Fleur breathed shakily. "I want you to touch me."
Fleur uttering those words was almost enough to make Hermione orgasm on the spot. She had fantasized about this moment so many times she lost count. She could really have the girl she has had feelings for the way she has always wanted to.
Not wanting to lose more time than they already had, Hermione moved up to kiss Fleur as she slid her hand the rest of the way into Fleur's underwear. Much like the athlete had done the night before, Hermione rubbed slow circles on her tight bundle of nerves, evoking a soft moan against her lips.
'This girl is going to be the death of me.' Hermione thought to herself, biting back her own sounds of satisfaction as Fleur grinded into her with a slow roll of her hips. She once more found herself thinking how unfair it was for anyone to move the way Fleur did. Every movement, sigh, absolutely everything was intoxicating.
She refrained from going too fast, savoring the moment as she continued, changing rotation occasionally as Fleur's breathing slowly started to become more shallow. She knew Fleur was ready when she pushed her hips a little more insistently into her, making it clear what she wanted.
Moving her hand a little further down, Hermione finally pressed two fingers into the girl hovering over her. A soft gasp left Fleur's lips at the feeling, setting Hermione's teeth on edge at the sound. This was better than she ever dreamed of. No image she could conjure could ever compare to the reality of Fleur Delaour being in her lap while she was inside of her.
"Bloody hell . . ." Hermione grumbled against Fleur's lips that were becoming increasingly sloppy with their kisses. She pulled her fingers out only to thrust them back in while her thumb moved to continue the actions of her fingers before.
Fleur helped out the girl who was doing great with the awkward angle of her hand, moving her body in time with Hermione's every thrust. Her grip tightened on dark hair when Hermione curled her fingers at just the ring angle, evoking another moan from the volleyball star.
"Merde." Fleur groaned, dragging her lips from Hermione's to rest on her shoulder, her breathing becoming more erratic and desperate. "Don't stop."
Fleur could feel she was already close to the edge after only a short time of Hermione touching her. She chalked it up to years upon years of foreplay and teasing. That and Hermione was way better with her fingers than anyone probably ever noticed before.
Hermione could feel Fleur tensing, her shoulders rigid and her grip tightening more and more by the second on her. She was close and Hermione was the one doing this to her. It was the most euphoric realization she could possibly have.
She just needed to push a little more, a little faster, and put more pressure with her thumb.
"Just like that." Fleur panted, her brow furrowing as sweat collected on it, chasing her imminent release.
A new wave of determination washed over Hermione, the cramp in her wrist unimportant when Fleur was making those soft sounds of approval against her skin. She used a little more pressure with her thumb and with one last deep thrust and curl of her fingers, Fleur snapped. With a loud cry of Hermione's name, the most beautiful sound the nerdy girl had ever heard, Fleur came undone.
She was a shuddering mess, her orgasm prolonged by Hermione's slow, rhythmic strokes that just kept the waves coming until her body went limp.
"Well . . ." Hermione exhaled while Fleur caught her breath against the younger girl's neck. "That was . . ."
"Yeah." Fleur nodded, her body shivering when Hermione carefully exited her so she could wrap her arms around the athlete.
Hermione kissed Fleur's shoulder sweetly, a small action that made the blonde smile as her chest heaved. She felt more elated than she had winning any volleyball game or dance competition. Hermione Granger was finally hers.
With that thought running through her head, the need to take the other girl to make it official, swelled in her chest. She started placing soft kisses on the brunette's neck as she felt her heart rate go back to an acceptable pace. She kissed her way up, nipping the bookworm's earlobe when she reached it, earning her a shudder.
"Perhaps we should relocate?"
"Relocate?" Hermione asked dumbly, her brain not functioning properly with Fleur's hot breath in her ear.
Fleur grinned to herself, sucking on Hermione's neck in a way that made the younger girl move into her. "Yes, I don't want to be interrupted."
"Oh?" Hermione asked absentmindedly. It was hard to focus when Fleur was doing those things with her mouth. "Where did you have in my mind?"
"My bedroom." Fleur kissed Hermione once more before hopping off of her lap and grabbing her hand. She dragged the doe eyed girl up the stairs, all but slamming her bedroom door behind her, and pushing Hermione onto her bed the second she got the chance.
"Wait." Hermione sat up when Fleur grabbed the bottom of her shirt to discard it.
Fleur furrowed her brow in confusion, pausing mid motion. "What is it?"
"Gabrielle." Hermione mumbled with a blush. "What if she comes home and-"
"I'll take care of that." Fleur let out a sigh of relief. She was worried for half of a second that her childhood crush had changed her mind. She was in far too deep now for her to feel even remotely okay if Hermione turned her down again. "As long as you never say my sister's name ever again when we're having sex."
"Deal." Hermione nodded with a laugh as Fleur grabbed her phone off the dresser and sent a quick text.
Fleur: Get lost for a couple of hours.
It took only a second for her phone to light up with a response.
Gabrielle: EW!
Fleur chuckled before tossing her phone somewhere that was unimportant and taking off her top. She crawled on top of the nerdy girl, who couldn't take her eyes off of her, with a coy smile.
"I don't think she'll be a problem anymore."
"Right." Hermione mumbled as she gaped at Fleur in just a bra and shorts.
A cheeky grin took over the athlete's countenance. "See something you like?"
"You know I do." Hermione sighed contentedly, admiring the flawless, practically glowing skin above her.
Fleur really was almost too good to be true. Not only was her body perfectly tight, slim, and toned, obviously from all the dancing and volleyball, but she was probably one of the nicest people to walk this earth. She was perfect in just about every way, at least to Hermione.
"I want to see something I like too." Fleur wiggled her eyebrows, pulling Hermione to sit up.
Hermione happily complied, lifting her arms when Fleur grabbed the hem of her shirt, letting the taller girl pull it off of her with ease and toss it to the floor. A smile was permanently etched on Fleur's face as she looked at Hermione in a state of undress bathed in the light flooding from her window. It made her eyes appear almost gold and played on her skin beautifully.
She couldn't refrain from leaning in to capture Hermione's lips in a slow, deep kiss while her hands snaked behind her back to unclasp her bra. When she pulled away and Hermione fell back down to lay on the bed, she licked her lips at the sight. Hermione looked even better than her imagination allowed her to believe.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at Fleur's glazed over look. "You too."
"So impatient." Fleur rolled her eyes playfully as she stood up to take off her bra and did one better by taking off her shorts and underwear, leaving Hermione to gape at her.
"Jesus . . ." Hermione breathed.
Fleur loved the way Hermione was looking at her. It was bringing that familiar tugging in her stomach back with a vengeance. Seeing Hermione sprawled out on her bed, half naked, and entirely hers wasn't helping matters either.
She had spent many nights on that same bed fantasizing about this exact moment and now here Hermione was. She looked good enough to eat. She licked her lips at just the thought as she moved to the edge of the bed.
In one quick movement, she grabbed Hermione by her hips, yanking her towards her, earning her a soft gasp. She smirked to herself at the sound as she moved her hands to undo Hermione's shorts and wiggle them off, which took five seconds longer than she would have liked it to. She had no interest in wasting anymore time.
Once Hermione was finally completely nude, Fleur took another moment to appreciate the beautiful british girl. She took note of the slight trembling in Hermione's slim thighs and the heaving of her chest under her gaze. Hermione was clearly nervous or excited. Well, both probably.
"You sure about this?" Fleur asked, truly hoping that Hermione's answer hadn't changed. Even so, she wanted the other girl to be sure of what they were doing. Hermione's comfort took priority over her raging libido. "It's okay, if you don't want to."
"Fleur." Hermione huffed. As if she could possibly say no to the gorgeous girl standing before her now. There was no going back. At least, not for her. "I've wanted this for far longer than I would like to admit."
"Good." Fleur smiled that predatory smile, pride swelling in her chest, as she crawled on top of Hermione, kissing her again before moving down to her neck. She sucked a little nicer than before, taking her time to lavish the girl beneath her in affection before she moved further down to the brunette's chest.
She lightly bit the skin above Hermione's breasts, which in turn made Hermione lift her hips into her a bit. She smiled to herself, inwardly preening at the effect she had on the british girl. To see what other reactions she could get out of Hermione, she moved to wrap her lips around a pink nipple while her other hand massaged the other breast.
"Fleur." Hermione hissed when the blonde scraped her teeth over the bud. A shudder ran up her body when Fleur flicked her tongue over it, causing a moan to slip from her lips.
Hermione found her hand automatically flying to blonde strands as the athlete continued her assault. Her legs actually shook when Fleur's hand moved to creep up her inner thigh. Fleur was too smooth for her own good.
With careful, deliberate movements, Fleur's fingertips ghosted over the soft skin as she went back up to kiss Hermione. She pulled the brunette's lower lip between her own as she slowly slid two fingers into her. She almost moaned at the feeling while Hermione arched into her.
She stroked the brunette at an agonizing pace, enjoying the quiet sounds Hermione made against her mouth before she curled her fingers. That little maneuver actually made Hermione jolt a bit. She definitely liked that one, as did Fleur. The feeling of being in the bookworm was heavenly and she wanted to prolong it a bit longer before she tortured the poor girl.
She continued her ministrations, basking in the way Hermione squirmed against her before she carefully withdrew her hand, which Hermione heavily protested with a whine.
Fleur pulled away, looking down at Hermione sweetly, but there was something devious hidden in her eyes. "Are you comfortable?"
"I was until you stopped." Hermione huffed.
Fleur shook her head, moving down to kiss Hermione's stomach between her ribs. "Well, make sure you are."
"Why?" Hermione breathed unevenly, watching Fleur kiss down to her hips with her golden strands tickling her bare skin.
Mischievous blue eyes looked up at her as Fleur spoke against her flesh. "Because you're going to be here for a while."
Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was a moan when Fleur's lips found her tight bundle of nerves.
"Oh, god." Hermione moaned, her head falling back against the bed when Fleur's tongue came into play.
Fleur had only just started and it already felt entirely too good. She had no idea what the french girl was doing, but it was pure perfection. Every time she thought she had Fleur's movements down, her tongue went and did something unexpected.
Everything Fleur did felt almost too good, reducing Hermione to a mumbling mess. She was doing her best not to orgasm so quickly so she could prolong the heavenly feeling, but then Fleur moaned against her. The vibration sent a chill up her body while Fleur's hands ran up her thighs to her stomach and it was enough to just about make her snap on the spot.
"Slow down." Hermione panted, lifting her head to look down at the girl between her thighs, but that proved to be a fatal mistake. The image of dangerously glinting blue eyes almost made her orgasm on the spot.
Needless to say, Fleur didn't change her pace. In her defense, she wasn't even going fast. Her movements were just precise and deadly. She knew what she was doing and seemed determined to bring Hermione tumbling over the edge at a record breaking speed.
Hermione's hips acted of their own accord, lifting up a bit when Fleur rolled her tongue a certain way. The pleasure was becoming too much. Hermione didn't know Fleur would be this good with her mouth. How could she have possibly known the athlete would be this talented?
Hermione was writhing from Fleur's touch, but was promptly stopped when Fleur's hands relocated to her hips, pushing and holding them down. Her tongue was relentless as she kept the younger girl firmly in place, helpless to escape her.
Hermione could only desperately grip the bed sheets and grit her teeth as she felt a powerful orgasm rapidly start to approach. She felt that familiar tightening in her abdomen as her body tensed up in preparation for what was about to come. She only made it a couple more seconds before Fleur flicked her tongue just right and had her squirming on the bed.
Fleur's name, multiple curse words, and moans spilled incoherently from Hermione's lips as she came hard. Her body wanted to twist and turn, but Fleur had a strong hold on her hips, keeping her pinned to the bed.
When Hermione felt the waves start to subside and Fleur slowed down, her chest heaved. 'Jesus. That was insane.' Hermione thought to herself as the stars started slowly leaving her eyes when she felt Fleur move her legs.
She boldly assumed the older girl was moving to get up, but felt that twisting in her stomach come back when Fleur moved her legs over her shoulders to get better positioning. Her tongue started massaging her in agonizingly pleasurable strokes again and before she could even think to protest, Fleur pressed two fingers into her.
"Fuck." Hermione groaned, closing her eyes tightly as Fleur started building her up again. She didn't think she would be so turned on so quickly again, but Fleur proved to be a witch of some sort, because she found herself caving in, burying her hand in blonde locks.
Her orgasm was building much quicker than the last one, those long fingers hitting just the right spot. Fleur still wasn't going fast was what was wild to Hermione. Her movements were slow and controlled, steadily bringing her closer and closer to the edge she already fell off.
Meanwhile, Fleur was absolutely smug with herself. Hermione was coming undone just for her and would continue to do so until she couldn't take anymore.
If she said she hadn't been planning to do this the moment she had Hermione in her bedroom, she would be lying. She had wanted to do this every single time she saw the brunette sitting in her living room. Now that it was a reality, she couldn't bring herself to stop even if she wanted to. She was completely addicted to Hermione and she wanted Hermione to feel the same. She wanted her name to be permanently seared onto the british girl's tongue. She wanted all memories of anyone else before her completely erased. She knew this was going to be a long task, but what a satisfying one it was.
"Fleur." Hermione moaned out when Fleur moved her tongue in the way she now knew drove Hermione crazy and with one last flick and thrust, Fleur had the brunette crying out again. Fleur noticed with smug satisfaction that it was even louder than the first time.
She could feel Hermione shuddering around her as she slowed her pace to give her a little reprieve. She wasn't a monster after all. She gave the panting girl a good thirty seconds after she felt her relaxing before she continued her previous ministrations. Well, maybe she was a little bit of a monster.
Hermione's eyes widened when Fleur continued again. Of course, just when she caught her breath, Fleur started over just like she had the first time. She really wasn't joking when she said this was going to be a while.
As another moan was ripped from her throat and she looked up to the white ceiling, Hermione couldn't help contemplating if Fleur Delacour was pure evil or just a sex god. Probably both.
Either way, it was going to be a long time before the french girl's thirst was satiated.
/
A couple hours later, the two lay in bed, sweaty and spent. Fleur had her hand behind her head, a smug smirk on her face while the brunette struggled to catch her breath. Hermione had to pry Fleur's hands off of her and practically crawl away before Fleur let her rest.
"Wipe that smirk off your face." Hermione got out between pants, glaring over at the blonde.
Fleur's smile just widened in response, lazily rolling her head to the side to gaze at the exhausted girl. "Make me." She challenged with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"I made you about five times." Hermione huffed indignantly.
"I lost count of how many I got out of you." Fleur replied with a cocky grin. "We can go for more if you want."
"No!" Hermione scooted away, earning her a hearty laugh from the athlete. "You're the devil." She mumbled.
"Oooooh, is that why you were saying 'oh god' so much? You were praying?"
With a loud thwump, Hermione hit Fleur in the face with a pillow, evoking a new onslaught of giggles from the french girl.
"That wasn't very nice." Fleur growled playfully as she removed the pillow from her face. A second later she pounced on the brunette, pinning her hands to the mattress.
Her blue eyes locked with amber that gazed at her adoringly before they started drifting downwards. She raised an eyebrow, drinking in Hermione's nude form beneath her. Even after hours of sex with the gorgeous girl beneath her, she felt that familiar stirring in her stomach.
Golden eyes narrowed at that look she knew all too well by now. "Fleur. Delacour."
Fleur blinked, looking back up to see a stern look on Hermione's face. "What?" She asked innocently.
"Absolutely not."
"Fine, fine." Fleur acquiesced, releasing Hermione so she could lay on her side. "I'll let you rest . . . for now." She finished with a wink.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the blonde's flirtatious nature. "You're incorrigible."
"It's not my fault my girlfriend is smoking hot." Fleur shrugged nonchalantly.
Hermione felt a flutter in her chest at the term. "Is that what we are?"
"Actually," Fleur rolled her head to look at her blushing companion. "This is awkward. I already called you an uber so . . ."
"Oh, that's perfect." Hermione smiled as she got up from the bed. Two could play this game. She went to start collecting her clothes as she continued. "I'm supposed to meet up with this guy in an hour and-"
Before Hermione could get too far, Fleur got on her knees on the edge of the bed. She snatched Hermione's wrist, swiftly pulling the giggling british girl back to her. "Be nice."
"I am nice." Hermione smiled sweetly, moving some of Fleur's hair from her face.
"And mine?" Fleur questioned with a raised eyebrow. It was all but confirmed that they were together at this point. Still, Fleur wanted to hear it.
"Yes." Hermione nodded her head, giving Fleur a soft kiss. "And yours."
Fleur let out a sigh of relief, loosening her hold on the shorter girl. "Good."
Hermione felt those familiar butterflies in her stomach, looking at the blonde affectionately until her eyes caught sight of the clock next to the volleyball star's bed.
"Oh, bloody hell." Hermione groaned.
Fleur furrowed her brow in confusion at Hermione's distressed state. "What's wrong?"
"I told my mum I would be home by dinner and it's already five o'clock. She's going to kill me."
"Are you free after dinner?" Fleur asked with a hopeful smile. She had just gotten Hermione and she selfishly wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. They had missed out on so much already.
"I'm sorry." Hermione sighed regretfully. She felt the same way as the athlete, but she had already made a promise to Gabrielle and she was going to keep it. "I promised Gabby ice cream later tonight."
Fleur let out a puff of air, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. It was a bit irritating, but she understood. She didn't want to start out their relationship already getting in the way of Hermione and her sister's friendship. She suspected she would have to get used to it since it would surely happen a lot this summer. If she knew her sister, which she did, she was going to be difficult for a while.
"Alright. Well, if you come back here, you can always sneak into my room." She smirked.
"You wish." Hermione laughed, pushing Fleur back by her forehead and making her fall back onto the bed.
"I do." Fleur sighed wistfully while Hermione started getting dressed.
"We can do something tomorrow, if you're free." Hermione said over her shoulder as she finished throwing on her shirt.
"For you," Fleur smiled charmingly. "I'm always free."
"A real date then." Hermione bit her lower lip with a smile in that way that drove Fleur crazy. "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow." Fleur nodded in agreement as Hermione made her way over to her to give her a lingering kiss goodbye. Fleur wanted to grab the shorter girl and make her stay, but she reluctantly let her slip out of her room. She was ready to take a nap after their vigorous activities until something occurred to her. She couldn't break tradition now.
Hermione had only made it a couple steps outside, feeling light as a feather, before Fleur came barreling out after her, a disheveled mess with her shirt on backwards.
"'Ermione!"
Hermione turned around, a look of puzzlement taking over her countenance. "What's wrong?"
"Forgot something." Fleur grinned as she grabbed a flower, pausing to make sure there were no thorns before jogging to the shorter girl. She carefully placed the flower behind Hermione's ear, a fond smile on her face.
Hermione shook her head. "Really?"
Fleur nodded her head with a proud smile. "Couldn't let you leave without it."
"Tell me . . ." Hermione said as she glanced at the white rose from the corner of her eye before settling her gaze back on the french girl. "Why do you really insist on giving me these flowers every chance you get?"
"Because I love y-" Fleur stopped herself with wide eyes while butterflies erupted in Hermione's stomach. 'Whoah. Slow down. You're going to scare her off.' She scolded herself. "Because I um," Fleur scrambled to recover from her slip up. "I love giving you flowers. They're almost as pretty as you."
A knowing glint was in Hermione's eye as she watched Fleur flounder. A rare sight when it came to the athlete. When Fleur was done with her rambling, she looked at Hermione apprehensively.
A slip up like that should fill Hermione with anxiety, but it did the exact opposite. Instead, she felt at ease. Plus, how could she refuse the older girl when she was looking at her with that helpless pout? It was quite adorable and Hermione didn't have the heart to leave Fleur hanging for too long.
"I . . ." She laced her hands behind her back, choosing her words carefully. "I love them too."
"You . . ." Fleur's brain stuttered on a response while Hermione smiled at her bashfully. Did Hermione just say what she thought she did? She opened her mouth to form some sort of coherent sentence, but before she could say anything, Hermione gave her a kiss on the cheek.
With that bomb dropped, Hermione simply walked away, far more casually than she felt, as her heart thundered in her chest at the boldness of her statement. Who even was she?
The revelation was startling, but it weirdly didn't scare Hermione or Fleur. Not now. Not after everything that had happened.
Meanwhile, while Hermione strolled away, Fleur was frozen, a goofy grin spreading on her face as Hermione's words really sunk in. Her heart all but erupted at the revelation. It felt like things were falling into place. Even after Hermione disappeared, she stood in her front yard, dumbly grinning, wondering how she got so lucky.
/
A couple of hours later, after constant nagging from her mother to invite the french girls over, Hermione found herself opening the door to the Delacour sisters. One had a big smile planted on her face while the other looked less than pleased with the arrangement.
"Jesus, Hermione." Gabrielle's eyes widened, all irritation forgotten when she saw her friend's black eye. "Fleur told me Chase accidentally got you, but she didn't say it was this bad."
Hermione flinched at Gabrielle's reaction, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "It's not that bad . . ."
A look of concern took over Fleur's countenance as she took a step forward. "Did you ice it like I told you to?"
"I may have forgotten." Hermione smiled sheepishly at the older girl who let out a disapproving grumble.
"How do you forget that?"
"I, well-"
"Oh, god, don't start getting all coupley on me." Gabrielle groaned as she pushed past her best friend. "I was not mentally prepared for this to happen yet."
"Don't let her bother you." Fleur waved off her sister's grumpy demeanor. "She'll get over it."
"I hope so." Hermione sighed as she closed the door behind the athlete. She went to head to the dining room, but was grabbed by her wrist and spun around. She opened her mouth to protest until she felt a pair of soft lips land briefly against her own.
"Since I won't get the chance for a while." Fleur winked at Hermione before heading into the dining room, leaving the british girl to dumbly trail behind.
Gabrielle gave them a wary look as they walked in, but Fleur seemed completely unaffected. Hermione went to take a seat, Fleur moving to take the one next to her. The petite blonde beat her older sibling to the punch though, all but pushing Fleur out of the way to take the seat next to her best friend.
"No." Gabrielle huffed, giving Fleur a pointed look. "You sit over there." She pointed to the open seat across from them. "Where you belong. By yourself."
Fleur rolled her eyes at her sibling's childish antics. "Fine. If that will make you feel better." She grumbled, taking her assigned seat while Hermione gave her an apologetic look.
"And I swear to god, Fleur, if you accidentally touch me while you try to play footsies with Hermione-"
"I don't play footsies." Fleur shot right back in French, irritated.
Gabrielle scoffed in response. "Right."
"Oh, you're here!" Mrs. Granger came out of the kitchen, holding a pan of lasagna. "I hope you girls are hungry."
"I doubt these two are." Gabrielle nodded her head in Hermione's direction. "I think they already ate."
A bright blush lit up Hermione's cheeks while Fleur sent her sister a scowl. "Shut up." She hissed.
"Did you?" Mrs. Granger looked to her daughter who was beyond mortified and the proper color of a tomato. "I thought you knew we were having dinner together tonight."
"Mum, I didn't eat." Hermione sent Gabrielle a warning look. "Gabby was just joking."
Gabrielle nodded her head, putting on a fake sweet smile. "Right."
The joke completely went over Hermione's mom's head who let out a relieved sigh. "Good. Oliver!" Christine yelled over her shoulder. "Dinner is ready."
A moment later, Mr. Granger came down the stairs, taking his seat next to his wife as he beamed at the older of the two french girls. "Fleur, it's been so long. It's good to see you again."
"You too Mr. Granger." Fleur smiled good naturedly as everyone started to eat. "How is the dentistry business?"
"Fantastic! Although, I did have a boy just about bite my finger off today." He laughed. "But it looks like I got out easy, considering the state of my daughter." He looked over to the brunette shrinking in on herself. "Thank you for taking care of her."
"I'm sure she took care of her alright." Gabrielle mumbled, earning herself a scathing look from her sister.
Fleur quickly shook off her irked expression, choosing to ignore her sister in favor of earning some brownie points with Hermione's parents. Yes, the Grangers have known her for as long as she can remember, but things were different now that she was dating their only daughter. She didn't want them thinking badly of her. "Of course."
"What happened anyway?" Mrs. Granger looked from Fleur to Hermione inquisitively. "Hermione refuses to tell us."
"Mum, I told you it was nothing." Hermione groaned, sinking into her seat.
Her dad pointed a fork at her. "That shiner says otherwise."
"I um . . ." Fleur looked lost, her eyes going from Oliver to Hermione. She wasn't sure what to say. The truth probably wasn't a good option, so she opted on deflection. "Mrs. Granger, this lasagna is amazing."
Fleur almost let out a breath of relief when her compliment resulted in Christine preening at the praise. "Thank you, Fleur."
"Suck up." Gabrielle sniggered. She jumped a moment later when Fleur kicked her under the table while Hermione looked completely lost.
The bookworm had no idea what was being said between the two, but she could guess by Gabby's tone that it wasn't anything nice. Fleur was doing her best not to throttle her little sister, but it looked like her patience was dwindling.
"Stop it."
"That hurt." Gabrielle growled, kicking Fleur back.
Oliver looked between the two siblings, confusion swimming in his brown eyes. "Is everything okay?"
"Fleur and Hermione are more than okay. I, on the other hand," Gabrielle sighed dramatically. "Am in shambles."
"Gabrielle . . ." Fleur spoke lowly, urging her little sister with her tone to shut up.
"Fleur and Hermione?" Christine asked with a furrow in her brow, looking from the athlete to her daughter. Both were turning a bright shade of red and shifting uncomfortably in their seats. That's when a lightbulb went off in Hermione's mother's head. "Oh no . . . are you two . . .?"
Oliver was having the same thoughts. The girls' behavior and demeanor said it all. He knew his daughter all too well. They were dating.
"Damnit!" He threw his hands up, earning him a perplexed look from his daughter and the two guests at his table.
"Mum? Dad?"
Hermione's parents knew that she liked girls by this point. They were nothing but accepting when she told them. Which is why Hermione was taken aback by their reaction. Why were they acting this way? What was wrong with her dating Fleur? They love Fleur.
"You couldn't wait a couple more months?" Oliver sent Fleur a scowl who shrunk under his gaze, unsure of what was going on. She wasn't sure how the Grangers would react to her dating their daughter, but she definitely didn't expect this. She thought they liked her.
"Hey!" Hermione intervened when she saw her girlfriend growing uncomfortable. "What are you going on about!? You can't talk to her like-"
"Go on, go call her." Oliver groaned to his wife, falling back into his chair. "I refuse to listen to that insufferable woman absolutely crow about how she was right."
"I'm not calling her." Christine scoffed indignantly. "You call her."
Needless to say, the three girls at the table were completely lost. Christine and Oliver were paying them no mind and it was starting to make Hermione mad.
"Do you mind telling me what you two are going on about?" Hermione scowled. "And why you think you can talk to my girlfriend like that?"
"I'm sorry, Fleur." Oliver gave the athlete an apologetic look. "It's not you. We're happy you two are together. It's your mother that's the problem."
"Our mother?" Gabrielle asked with a raised eyebrow. "What does she have to do with these two idiots?"
"A long time ago . . ." Christine sighed. "We made a bet with your parents about when Hermione and Fleur would start dating."
Hermione just about spat out her water at the admission. "You what!?"
"They said high school. We said college." Oliver continued, completely ignoring his daughter. "We were so close!"
"I suppose we can't bribe you to hold off for a couple months?" Christine smiled hopefully at Fleur who sat there with her mouth open, resembling a fish.
"Mum!" Hermione cried out, her cheeks tinting red. "Stop!"
Gabrielle threw her napkin. "Am I the only one who didn't see this coming!?"
"Oh good, you weren't in on it." Oliver rubbed his chin. "I wouldn't put it past Apolline to recruit you to cheat."
"I'm sorry . . ." Fleur finally spoke. "I'm lost. When did you . . . why did you make this bet? How did you know we would end up dating?"
"Oh, if it wasn't apparent enough when Hermione would go on about you at home, it was obvious when you came here asking for her hand in marriage."
"You . . . what?" Hermione looked at Fleur, her eyes wide while the french girl avoided her gaze.
Fleur felt heat rush to her ears, a blush lighting up her entire face. Wasn't Hermione the one supposed to be getting embarrassed by her parents? Not her. Why was this all backwards?
"Jesus, Fleur." Gabrielle gagged while her sister willed herself to just disappear.
"It was quite adorable really." Chrstine laughed, shaking her head as she got lost in memories.
/
It was a bright, sunny day, a year after the Delacours moved into town when a young Fleur came stomping into her house, absolutely livid. She announced herself by slamming the front door as loud as her small frame would allow.
The commotion was so loud, Apolline heard it over the running water in the kitchen while she was doing dishes. Her curiosity piqued, she turned off the water and headed towards the source. She poked her head out of the doorway, looking at her daughter who looked like she was ready to blow a fuse. What could have a kid her age so riled up?
"Fleur? Is something the matter darling?"
"Is something the matter?" Fleur scoffed as she stormed into the kitchen, plopping herself down at the table with a huff. "Of course something is the matter! That stupid boy Trevor-"
"Trevor?" Apolline wiped her hands with a dish towel, heading over to crouch in front of the clearly distressed girl. "Who is Trevor? Is he giving you trouble? Is he picking on you?"
"Yes, he is giving me trouble." Fleur growled as she crossed her arms.
"Tell me what happened." Apolline spoke soothingly as she rubbed Fleur's back. "Maybe I can help."
"It's 'Ermione." Fleur frowned.
A perplexed look took over Apolline's countenance at the mention of Hermione. She thought Fleur was upset with this boy Trevor, not Hermione. Fleur was never mad at Hermione. It was a practically impossible task.
"What does this have to do with Hermione? I thought you were upset with Trevor."
"I am." Fleur grumbled. "But I'm upset with 'Ermione too! She told Gabrielle she was going to marry him!"
Apolline had to stop the laugh bubbling in her chest at her daughter's admission. So, this was what this was all about. Fleur was receiving her first dose of jealousy.
It had been clear from day one that Fleur was enamored by the Granger girl. She constantly checked on the girl, but Gabrielle definitely kept her at a distance. The younger girl did tend to get jealous when it came to her older sister.
"So, that's what this is about."
"She can't marry him mom!" Fleur whined pitifully. "She's supposed to marry me!" She emphasized her point by hitting the table.
"Okay, well hitting isn't the solution." Apolline shook her head. "You can't make Hermione marry you and probably not this young." She chuckled. "Plus, you have to get her parent's blessing first. I doubt Trevor has done that."
Fleur perked up at this new information, a hopeful smiling pulling at her lips. "Can we go over to the Grangers then?"
Apolline was taken aback by Fleur's enthusiasm. Her daughter really knew what she wanted and was almost too bold for her own good. "Now? Honey, I think you're a bit young to-"
"Mom!" Fleur cried out, looking like she was on the brink of tears. "Please!"
With Fleur looking so utterly distressed, it was hard for Apolline to say no. So, with a sigh, she stood up. "Fine."
"Yes!" Fleur jumped out of her seat, a smile lighting up her face. "Let me get some flowers first!" She yelled over her shoulder as she ran out the front door.
"What am I going to do with this girl?" Apolline muttered to herself as she looked up to the ceiling and shook her head.
Twenty minutes later, Apolline found herself knocking on the Granger's front door with her young daughter bouncing on the balls of her feet. She clung to a dozen white roses with a big grin despite the small white bandages covering her fingers and hands. Fleur had been a little too enthusiastic pulling out the roses and forgot about the thorns that had yet to be clipped. She was so happy that Apolline didn't have the heart to scold her.
A moment later, Christine opened the door with Oliver close behind. "Apolline? Fleur?" She looked down to the young girl beaming at her, completely perplexed. "Is something wrong?"
Apolline gave Christine a wistful smile, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. There was nothing she could do about this and knowing Fleur, she would never change her mind. "Fleur has a question she would like to ask you."
"Oh?" The older brunette smiled kindly as she kneeled in front of the child. "What's your question Fleur?"
Nothing could prepare the mother for the question that came out of the enthusiastic blonde's mouth who held out flowers to her with the widest grin she had ever seen.
"Can I marry 'Ermione?"
/
"It was so cute." Christine cooed.
"Kill me now." Fleur whined to herself, glancing at her sister who was snickering.
"And what did you say?" Gabrielle leaned towards Hermione's parents, wanting to prolong Fleur's torture for as long as possible. "Surely, you turned her down."
Christine shook her head with a soft laugh. "That one, we'll never tell."
Fleur pushed her food around, completely focused on the plate so she wouldn't have to look at Hermione. She hadn't necessarily forgotten the memory, but it had been pushed to the back of her mind until now. She wished the same had happened to the Grangers.
On her first day being Hermione's girlfriend, she had already almost said the L word and now the Granger's outed her for asking for Hermione's hand in marriage. If this didn't freak Hermione out, she didn't know what would.
Finally deciding to face the music, Fleur tentatively looked up to Hermione to see something she didn't expect. Hermione didn't look absolutely mortified. Instead of a look of horror, there was a look in those amber eyes that Fleur couldn't quite place. It held fondness and something else.
A small smile pulled at Hermione's lips, while one unconsciously started to form on Fleur's own face. She supposed this really had been a long time in the making. It only took her ten years, but it was well worth the wait. Hermione Granger was finally hers. And who knows, maybe she would propose to Hermione for real one day. After all, she had already gotten Hermione's parents blessing.
AN: Welp, there it is. The book is closed on this AU of Hermione and Fleur. For now. There might be a sequel. There might not. It's still undecided at this point and wouldn't happen for a while, but maybe one day. I was still rusty going into all of this so hopefully it was coherent enough to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who waited forever for this update and for all the lovely reviews :) I promise an update for Turn Back Time is next, if anyone even remembers what that is anymore haha