The Flower and the Butterfly: Moonlight and Butterflies
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By Terrenis-chan
E-Mail: Terrenis(a)web.de
Part: 1/1
Pairing: Hermione/Fleur, implied Harry/Sirius
Warnings: AU, femmeslash, a little bit angst and lots of fluffy, sappy romance. If you don't like slash, don't read it. Easy, isn't it?
Summary: In a full moon night, two lonely souls find something they have in common...
Disclaimer: Since my name isn't Rowling, I don't own any of the characters. I also don't own the song "Butterfly" from the Cowboy Bebop OST.
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Okay, this is the revised version of "Moonlight" and the first of a trilogy of One-Shots with the title "The Flower and the Butterfly". Hope you like it.
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A full silver moon, looking like an expensive, but precious pearl, was shining at the nightly sky.
A pearl, which was surrounded by countless stars, all of them sparkling like tiny diamonds, weaved into the dark robe of the night, while the earth below was covered with glittering snow.
It was a perfect night, one of those seldom nights.
Fleur liked these seldom nights. It was at that time when she often found herself on top of the Astronomy Tower, watching the stars and the moon and thought about important things. Ever since she accepted the Position of the Charms Teacher here in Hogwarts, she had taken on the habit of coming up here and doing what she did now. Although it was not very often since the weather here in Scotland was much colder and rainier than Fleur was used to.
And there was another reason why the blonde French woman came to this spot. The reason was her new colleague, the one who was teaching Transfiguration for a year before joining a research department within the ministry. Fleur knew her from the first Triwizard Tournament, in which she herself was a participant.
Then she was a teenager, a girl about to become grown up. But that was nine years ago. Now she had returned as a full-grown and, at least in Fleur's opinion, beautiful woman.
Today wasn't different. It was New Year's Eve. Since almost all of the Students had gone home for Christmas and weren't expected back before next week, the headmaster had decided to throw a Ball for former Students and not few had accepted the invitation. So a lavish celebration was starting in two hours and she still hadn't changed into her gown, but was sitting here and was freezing to death.
The French Part-Veela sighed. She didn't know why she had such thoughts. But every time when her mind drifted away like this, her stomach seemed to explode with the feeling of thousands of butterflies in it. And it became worse with every passing hour and day.
So this was this feeling what other people seemed to call love.
She was in Love with her.
But how could she tell her colleague how she felt about her? It wasn't as if Fleur had had much experience in such things. Although some others might have disagreed with her, but in reality she never had had a real relationship. It was just a physical attraction that drew most men to her, but never real love.
Fleur sighed again, when her mind drifted away again. Why did this all have to be so complicated? Maybe all she had to do was to muster up all of her courage to tell her about her feelings. But what if she didn't return it? Would she be angry or disgusted? Or would she even feel the same?
So many questions and no answers! But something had to be done.
"What shall I do now?" Fleur whispered quietly to herself, while still looking at the moon, as if he would knew the answer to her problems.
oOo
At another wing of the castle, the beautiful and gentle, but also sad sound of a violin made its way through an opened window into the darkness of the night.
The player played for a whole while, lost in his own little world. It was several minutes later, when she finally stopped playing and walked to the open window, just to take a look outside at the moon, which threw his light all over her room.
Hermione sighed. She loved playing the violin. Ever since she was a little girl and started to learn how to play it, she'd play it in every available bit of her spare time. It really helped her to take her mind off things, which bothered her too much. And recently it was more necessary than ever.
The brown-haired witch sighed again. It was such a beautiful night, a perfect night for a New Year's Eve Celebration. She wondered if Fleur also enjoyed this night. She knew that the blond woman went to the top of the Astronomy Tower, whenever there was a moonlit night.
Fleur. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It certainly suited her bearer.
Sometimes Hermione wondered how she had fallen for a woman like her. When she had started to teach at the beginning of this school year, she was surprised to see the blonde Part-Veela here in Hogwarts. But this surprise soon changed into something other, something that Hermione couldn't identify.
But she had a faint idea what it could be, especially since she was more and more catching herself in the act of stealing secret glances at her colleague. Of course she had been carefully not to let the other woman notice it.
But maybe it was time to let her know how she felt about her. Although Hermione was afraid of Fleur's reaction, she had to do it or she'd go insane sooner or later.
And...it was New Year's Eve after all. And wasn't that always a time for certain intentions?
Hermione smiled to herself and turned round. Looking at her gown for the Ball and the little box next to it, she suddenly heard a faint knocking at the door. She went to it and opened it. Professor McGonagall was standing outside, already dressed in a red robe.
"What can I do for you, Minerva?" she asked her.
"Well, it seems that Professor Delacour has somehow vanished! The Ball is starting soon and I still have to clear some things with her! Maybe you know where she could be!" the older witch asked.
Hermione giggled internally. So her intuition concerning Fleur's whereabouts had been right.
"I have a hunch! Give me 30 minutes and she will be there!" she replied smiling.
"Alright and thank you! See you later downstairs!"
Minerva McGonagall turned to leave but she barely had walked a few steps when she stopped and turned her head again.
"Oh, by the way, there are some guests waiting for you! I'll send them up here if you don't mind!"
"Not at all! Just send them up here!" Hermione said, stepping out of her room and closing the door.
"Alright! See you later, Hermione! Minerva replied and finally left.
Hermione went the opposite way. She knew where she had to look. Making her way upstairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower, she couldn't help but wonder how this night would turn out for the both of them.
Maybe this could be the night of all nights.
Maybe.
oOo
While Hermione was on the way, Fleur was still staring at the moon, sighing now and then.
She was completely lost in her thoughts, when a well-known voice interrupted her.
"You know, you'll freeze to death if you stay here any longer!" the voice said.
Fleur's eyes widened and her heart made a big jump when she noticed the object of her desire behind herself. But she quickly pulled herself together and faced the other woman. She couldn't deny that the sight of the other witch standing in the silver moonlight.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" she asked a little coolly.
The mentioned one raised an eyebrow at Fleur's sudden change of behaviour, but dismissed it quickly.
"Well, Minerva asked me if I knew where to find you, since she wanted to discuss some last things with you. So I offered to get you since I had a vague idea about your whereabouts. And it seems that I was right!" she said.
The blonde was confused for a moment. And all of a sudden she had the urge to get away from here and that as soon as possible.
"Oh...okay! Thanks for the information. I'll better then. See you at the Ball!" she stuttered.
With these words she walked, almost fled, past Hermione and inside the Tower. This one stared a whole while after the blond Part-Veela, until she also followed her downstairs.
oOo
Several minutes later, Hermione nearly had reached her rooms. Strangely, she hadn't seen Fleur since the sudden flight from the roof, but having noticed the French witch's strange behaviour earlier, she wondered if this one perhaps might feel the same for her.
"Well, we'll see!" she said to herself.
But when she finally reached the corridor, a big surprise was waiting there for in form of three people, which she hadn't seen for ages.
Hermione's face lit up and her lips turned into a big smile, when she saw three of her best friends waiting for her.
"Oh, you're here! I'm so glad to see you! It must have been ages since our last dinner together." She exclaimed happily and walked fast to them.
Reaching Ginny, who was dressed in a black evening robe, she pulled the redheaded girl in a tight hug.
"It's so good to see you, Ginny! You look so beautiful!" Hermione said.
Ginny giggled coyly.
"I know! But you still haven't changed and it's only an hour until the beginning!" she laughed.
"Just let her be! There's enough time to get dressed! But now I'd also like to have a hug from my best friend. And Sirius, too!" Harry said.
Hermione smiled at him and turned to him to give them also a hug. But as soon as she had put her arms around him, the black-haired wizard picked her up and whirled her around. The brown-haired witch only laughed and begged to be let down again. Finally Harry let her down. After that she hugged Sirius until Ginny interrupted them.
"Okay, okay, that's enough for now! We still have some lady business to attend to and there's enough time to talk later! So why don't you give Vicky a tour through the castle! I'm sure he'll love it!"
Hermione raised both eyebrows at that.
"Vicky? As in Victor Krum? What is he doing here?" She asked.
Ginny giggled.
"Well. He's actually my boyfriend and soon-to-be-fiancé."
"Really? That's great. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"It's not official yet. I'm going to introduce him to my parents next week and I hope you guys come too. I have the feeling this is going to be an interesting evening. Hopefully Ron doesn't go insane if I tell him the news. You still know how he reacted at the Yule Ball in our fourth year."
"Oh yes, I do!" Hermione laughed at that memory.
"And if he doesn't know how to behave...Let's just say, I have some interesting blackmail material to keep him quiet."
"And that would be?" Harry asked her this time.
The red-haired woman giggled again.
"Well, I caught him and Dracie-poo making out late at night on Christmas Eve. And he does not know that I saw them together!" she replied with an evil grin on her face.
"Dracie-poo? Ron and...Draco? Malfoy? Please spare me any details!" Hermione said with an unbelieving look on her face.
"The same goes for me!" Sirius replied, while Harry suddenly started to giggle as well.
The others looked at him strangely.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked him.
"Sorry...It's just...I just remembered how they behaved at school. I always knew there was much more behind their bickering." He laughed.
Now the others understood what he meant and also laughed, until Ginny finally stopped.
"Okay, okay, now let's go inside. We'll meet you later in the Great Hall! There we can talk on!" Ginny said.
"As you wish, Ladies!"
Harry and Sirius both bowed deeply and then walked away, arm in arm. Both women giggled, before Hermione said the password and opened the door for them to enter the room, not knowing that a pair of blue eyes watched them.
oOo
"So, Mione, why don't you get a quick shower and then I'll do your hair and make-up!" the redheaded woman said.
"Okay! Give me five minutes!" Hermione said and disappeared in the bathroom.
After stripping out of her civil clothing, she took a shower and dried herself and her hair with a simple drying spell. After putting on her favourite perfume, she left the room and went back into her sleeping room, where Ginny was already waiting for her.
"That's a really beautiful gown you have. You're going to look like a Goddess tonight." She said smiling and gestured for her to sit down.
While she was combing Hermione's hair, she continued to talk:
"So how are you? Mum told you're teaching only this year! Why only this year?"
"Because I'll get my own research department next year! And you know I always wanted that!" Hermione replied.
"I know, but I thought you'd change your opinion, especially after what Minerva told me!"
This made Hermione's head jerk up.
"What?" she managed to say.
Ginny just rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Hermione. I'm not blind, you know. This gown and this gift box. I dare to say that a certain someone, or better a certain flower, has caught your eye and your heart."
This made the other witch speechless.
"How...?"
Ginny laughed again and began to part Hermione's hair into several tiny strands.
"Oh, Hermione, I know that you're in love with Fleur. I knew it ever since your fourth year, when you kept staring at her. So don't you think it's time for you to tell her everything?"
Hermione groaned internally, but tried to calm herself down. So her friends and everyone she knew knew what was going on. Well, then she had no choice.
"Well. I was planning to do it tonight. But I don't know how." She whispered.
"Don't worry, I do have a plan!" Ginny replied.
She bent down to Hermione's ear and whispered something in it. Hermione made a surprised face and then...
Then she smiled. That was a good plan.
oOo
To say that Hogwarts knew to throw a party was an understatement. It was a more than lavish celebration.
More than 200 former students had come to celebrate the New Year at their former school. It was an ocean full of every known colour, worn by the Ladies. But one of them was the most outstanding one.
Fleur normally loved Balls. Today wasn't different. She had changed into a stunning silver gown and with her hair twisted into a classical bun, held together by a sparkling diamond broche in the shape of a butterfly. She really looked like a fairy. All heads, men and women alike, turned after her when she walked into the Great Hall, which had been decorated in sparkling Silver and Gold and reminded her so much of the Yule Ball so many years ago.
Most people, who still knew her from then, greeted her and she greeted back, although she rather had a certain woman at her side. But Hermione still hadn't appeared and Fleur wondered if she was coming anyway.
The orchestra, which Dumbledore had engaged, was playing a fast waltz and some of the guests were already dancing. So Fleur decided to sit down at the teacher's table for the time being and wait for Hermione.
Several minutes went by, but no sign of the other woman. Fleur got herself a glass of champagne and watched the rest of the guests, while waiting. She saw a lot of familiar faces on the dance floor, especially the redheaded woman, who was dancing with none other than Viktor Krum and Harry Potter, who was dancing with Sirius Black.
So she noticed a little bit late that the music was dying down and Professor McGonagall was requesting the audience's attention.
"Welcome to our New Year's Ball at Hogwarts! I'm glad to see that you have come in such great numbers and hope that you enjoy the next few hours. But now I'm pleased to announce one of our current teachers! She asked me if she could sing something for a special person and of course I couldn't deny her wish! So please welcome Miss Hermione Granger!" the older witch said and made place for her.
The guests cheered and clapped when Hermione made her way to the stage. She smiled and looked for a second at Fleur. But the blond witch didn't notice it. She was too busy taking in Hermione's appearance. The brunette witch looked absolutely stunning. She wore a blood red, sparkling lace gown with a fitting garnet necklace and earrings. Her hair was elaborately braided and decorated with tiny red garnet flower pins.
Fleur's heart made several jumps and she wasn't sure if she was dreaming. Her secret love looked like a goddess tonight and if she hadn't been already in love with her, now she would fall in love with her again and that for sure. It took several minutes until she was able to think clearly and concentrate on Hermione's song.
Hermione looked around to look for Fleur and finally spotted her at the table for the Staff members. Smiling slightly, she looked forwards and at Ginny, who smiled back and held her thumbs up. The brunette witch took a deep breath and said:
"Thank you! This is for a special person, who held my heart the last nine years! This is for you, Fleur!"
At these words, Fleur's head jerked up. Hermione wanted to sing for her? Just then the first notes of the music rang through the entire hall and Hermione began to sing:
"You're a love song
Only half-way sung
You're the knot that comes undone
You're the daylight
Dressed as darkest night
The flight of a stringless kite
The very vision
The mirage woman
You're air in the palm of my hand
You're like catching
The day's sunset
Or rain that's never wet
You're a butterfly in the mind
You're a butterfly before my eyes
You're a butterfly, a trick of time
Who leaves before he arrives.
You're a butterfly in the mind
You're a butterfly before my eyes
You're a butterfly, who says he's mine
Who leaves before he arrives.
You're a butterfly in the mind
You're a butterfly before my eyes
You're a butterfly, who says he's mine
Who leaves before he arrives
Who leaves before he arrives."
No one, especially not Fleur, could evade this heartbreaking piece of music. Fleur just stared at Hermione and wished more than ever to be at this woman's side. Maybe it was finally time for her also to reveal her feelings. Yes, as soon as Hermione was finished, she would do it.
Hermione finally stopped playing and the crowd went mad with applause. She bowed slightly and then gave the violin to Ginny before making her way to the Staff Table, where Fleur was sitting. Reaching it, she stretched out a hand and took Fleur's slim one into hers.
"Fleur, would you come with me? There's something important I have to give and to tell you!" she said.
Fleur just nodded and got up. Hermione led them both outside, into one of the pavilions in the garden, where they both sat down, watching the illuminated castle. For a long none of them said anything until Hermione broke the silence.
"Here, this is for you! I've waited a long time to give you this!" she said and handed a black velvet box to Fleur.
The French witch stared at the gift box and then at Hermione.
"For me?" she asked.
The brunette woman nodded.
"Just open it!"
Fleur took a deep breath and opened the box. What she saw made her teary-eyed. Inside was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was made of flowers of gold and silver and set with fiery garnets and water blue aquamarine gems. Fleur touched it and whispered:
"It's beautiful. But why do you give me this?"
Hermione looked at into Fleur's blue eyes.
"I thought you would know by now! It's because I love you!"
The French witch's eyes widened.
"You...you love me?"
"Of course I do. Ever since the Triwizard Tournament!"
This time Fleur smiled for real.
"Oh, I love you, too! But I thought, maybe you'd be disgusted with me!"
Hermione laughed and shook her head, then put her right hand on Fleur's cheek.
"Oh, silly woman! Why do you think that? I'll never be like that. I'm a very open-minded person and by the way, my best friend's gay! So why should I be disgusted with you?" she said and then gave Fleur a sweet butterfly kiss on her lips.
It was like electricity run through Fleur's body at that kiss. And she certainly wanted more.
"So we're together now?" she finally asked.
"It seems so!" Hermione answered back, giving the blonde witch another kiss.
Fleur kissed back and they shared one kiss after another, all of them just a promise of more to come.
oOo
While both enjoyed each others company, two other couples watched them from afar with knowing glances and a smile on their faces..
"So, when do you think we'll get the invitation for the wedding?" Ginny asked aloud.
"Isn't it a little bit early for that?" Sirius replied.
Ginny shrugged her shoulders.
"I just like to plan early!" she answered.
Then she took out her wand, from which a group of sparkling golden and silver butterflies emitted and shoot it towards the direction of the pavilion.
The two witches in there were still embracing and kissing each other, when suddenly a swarm of sparkling butterflies surrounded them. The women stopped and smiled at the beautiful sight. But when they tried to touch them, the butterflies burst into thousands of tiny stars. This made them only smile more.
"It's beautiful! I wonder who sent them!" Fleur asked.
Hermione turned her head into the direction, from which the swarm had come and caught a glimpse of red hair.
"It seems it is a little encouragement present from Ginny! Remind me to thank her later!" the brunette witch said.
There was a moment of silence, before Fleur continued to speak.
"There's something important I need to ask you, love!"
"Yes?" Hermione said, looking at the blonde beauty anxiously.
Fleur took a deep breath.
"Well...do you think you could stay longer now and not go back to London after this school year?"
The other woman chuckled at this.
"Possibly. We'll see!" she replied.
Hermione and Fleur stayed the entire time at the pavilion. And when the first fireworks from Hogsmeade illuminated the moonlit sky, celebrating the New Year, they watched it from there, for they finally had found each other.
Under the Moonlight.
In this Perfect Night.
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The End!
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So, this was my first try at a Femmeslash Fic, so please be gentle with me. And I hope you like this revised Version. I'm just a hopeless romantic. Like it? Hate it? Want a Sequel? Just write me.
Terrenis-chan