...Friends and Family...
Fleur had turned when she heard a thud behind her but she had never expected to see the brunette she was so fond of, swaying before collapsing. Thank god, she was athletic and had reacted fast enough to catch the falling girl or Hermione could have cracked her head on the hard stone floor. With panic, heart thudding inside her chest, she lifted the girl into her arms and ran through the hallways to the Hospital Wing. She had been luckily given a tour of the most important parts of the castle by Cho recently.
Madam Pomfrey had come to help her as soon as she had burst, frantic, into the infirmary, depositing Hermione gently onto a bed. After Fleur explained everything while Madam Pomfrey did a diagnostic spell, the Head Nurse told her that Hermione had just fainted and that it was not serious. Calming her racing heartbeats, Fleur thanked the nurse and turned to examine the unconscious girl on the bed. She wanted to stay by Hermione's side till she woke up, everything in her was demanding for it but she knew she couldn't… she had classes and even if she skipped them, Hermione wouldn't take kindly to having her there. She hates me, remember?
Looking at the peaceful face of the brunette, her bushy chestnut hair splayed onto the white pillow she was resting on, Fleur felt the intense love surge in her heart. This girl was her mate… someone she already loved more than anything yet someone who didn't love her at all, barely even tolerated her presence… maybe even outright hated her. She felt like there were oceans of distance between them, threatening to never allow their bond to form and the fact was hard to swallow. It felt like something was permanently lodged in her throat. Blinking to clear her misting eyes, Fleur leaned forward and cupped the Gryffindor's cheek in her hand, stroking the supple and slightly rosy skin with her thumb before tucking an errant lock of brown hair behind a cute pink ear in which she whispered, "Je t'aime, mon amour". Bending down, she deposited a soft kiss onto the soft cheek in front of her, one tear escaping her eyelid and rolling off her nose before plopping itself gently on Hermione's soft skin. Wiping it gently with her fingers, she deposited another kiss on the girl's forehead before painfully tearing herself from the brunette and walking out of the place, not looking back.
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When Hermione came back to consciousness, she felt disoriented. It took her a few seconds to realise she was in the Infirmary, the smells of different kinds of potions assaulting her nostrils. Madam Pomfrey, seeing her charge awake, came to check on her.
"How are you feeling, child?" queried the Head Nurse.
"Uhm, I'm feeling a bit confused, what happened?" asked Hermione, she had no recollection of what had transpired.
"You fell unconscious in the Great Hall, my girl. Luckily, Miss Delacour caught you before you could hurt yourself and carried you here. I have checked you and there is nothing wrong so it might be just a simple case of fatigue, stress or not eating properly." Hermione nodded at that, "I suggest you take it easy for the rest of the day. You have been excused from today's classes, ok?" Madam Pomfrey informed, patting the girl on the knee.
Hermione nodded again before swinging her feet off the bed and stepping down. She sat on a nearby chair, putting on her black shoes and tying her laces.
"Here, you dropped your bag in the halls and one of the elves brought it back," said the Nurse, handing a brown leather bag over to the girl.
Securing her bag strap over her shoulder, Hermione thanked the nurse before walking back to her common room. It didn't take long for her to get to the Gryffindor tower. The hallways were clear due to classes still going on. When she arrived in front of the Portrait, she quickly gave the password and walked to her room.
The silence of her room greeted her. The room was small yet cosy, with knick-knacks placed around. She had the muggle pictures of her and her parents along with some wizard pictures of her with her friends hung onto the wall. A large dark wood wardrobe was propped against the side wall with a large bookcase next to it, almost bursting with books. Then, there was her bedside table beside her bed and also her chest, sitting at the foot of her four-post bed. The bed itself was in Gryffindor colours, with the curtains, sheets, blanket and pillows all in crimson with gold trim.
Rummaging through the chest, she pulled out her silky dark blue PJs with stars on them that her parents had gifted her when she had gone back home for the holidays. Changing into them, Hermione climbed into her bed, pulling her blanket up to her chin and tried to remember what happened.
I was in the hall…Oh, trying to reach Fleur and… OH NO! Hermione jerked upright at that, She had entered her name into the Goblet and I had felt such a bad feeling! She ran her hand in her unruly hair, confused as to why she had felt that way, Why? I don't understand why. Madam Pomfrey said she caught me in my fall and carried me to the Infirmary… The realisation that she had been carried in the arms of the blonde, probably in front of so many people, made her face heat up a little bit. She must be strong to carry me so easily or maybe she just used a featherlight charm.
Settling herself against her headboard, Hermione grabbed one of her crimson pillows and hugged it to her chest. She thought back at her outburst in the library. She had disliked the blonde since the start, for no reason… Or was it even dislike? I just felt strange around her and didn't know why... She didn't know why she had gotten angry with the blonde. Normally she gets really happy when someone gets interested in her work. The blonde had just asked more about what she had been writing. She would have gotten into a long explanation about the intricacies of her potion, had it been someone else.
The outburst had been so out of character. She had just lashed out without any provocation or anything. She felt ashamed of herself. The fact that she was feeling strange around the blonde confused her and not finding answers as to why frustrated her to no end. Maybe that's what made me lash out… It still doesn't excuse my behaviour though. The shocked faces of Fleur and Harry had been like a bucket of ice water over her head which had brought her back to Earth, making her realise how rude her behaviour had been. She really needed to apologise to the kind Frenchwoman... Make the blonde understand that she was not like that, she was not vicious and mean. That she didn't understand why she had behaved that way, that it was no excuse but she would make sure that it never happened again. Her eyes started to feel heavy as her thoughts swam around in her mind, trying to come up with a plan. Hermione laid herself back onto her soft mattress, pulling her discarded blanket back onto her body and soon, she was dozing calmly.
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Fleur had been to classes for the whole morning and then went to have lunch in the Great Hall. She had been worried when she noticed the absence of Hermione at her usual seat by the Gryffindor table. Madame Pomfrey iz wiz her, she iz fine, She reasoned, concentrating on finishing her food.
She didn't have any classes in the afternoon so after lunch, she took her time walking back to the carriage. While hiking back, the ground soggy under her feet because of the morning drizzle, she looked at the vast expanse that was the Hogwarts grounds and felt pulled towards the lake. She didn't resist it. That's how she found herself seated at the place she had shed her tears yesterday, thinking about Hermione. This time, she cast a drying charm onto the ground, removing its sogginess and ridding the grass of the dew. Seating herself, she took a deep breath. She had been very affected by the events from yesterday and had felt out of control. Today she was feeling a bit more centered. Her behaviour now made sense to her since Veela are known to have fluctuating moods and heightened emotions when they find their mate, which takes around one month or two to get better. Veela can also feel strong emotions coming off their mates which affect their own.
After Hermione's outburst, the immense pain she had felt had been a clear clue to how much she loved the brunette already. At that moment, she had finally realised that she was in love with the only person she would ever love, but she had gotten hurt by her person at the same time. The pain had actually felt not only emotional but physical. Blame Veela physiology for that. She had felt the wave of anger and dislike coming from Hermione and it had affected her a lot. That's how she had found herself huddled here, shedding silent tears. Her grand-mère had told her that mates also feel heightened emotions for some time when their Veela is close. Could that have affected Hermione? Intensifying her annoyance at the blonde into dislike maybe? Or even being the cause of it? Fleur wasn't sure.
She had been confused since seeing Hermione. Her heart had fallen in love and it had happened so fast that she hadn't had the time to wrap her mind around it. She had been so scared to approach the brunette, her heart telling her to go closer while her mind was screaming for her to run away. She felt stuck in between a rock and a hard place, the Veela heightened emotions increasing her confusion didn't help.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she got up, dusted her clothes and walked back to the carriage. She still felt a slight pain in her chest, like an ache that she couldn't shake off. Not attaining their mate's love is dreadful to a Veela, it is like a disease slowly eating your body from the inside out. Now that she had had the time to come in terms with what was happening with her, Fleur felt a little bit more composed. She would take some time to get over the hurt and try with the beautiful brunette again. Maybe she'll have a better chance then because she would be going about it with a clearer head. She will not give up so easily and will go through this with as much determination, courage and dignity she could muster, like a true Veela and a true Delacour.
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Back at the carriage, Fleur met with Alexia who had given her enough space but had decided that she should at least try to cheer up her cousin. Walking to their weapon closet, she picked up two shotguns, throwing one at Fleur who caught it easily, eyes questioning.
"Viens avec moi. On a rien fait depuis un certain temps. Allons nous entrainer au tir." [Come with me. We haven't done much for a while. Let's go do some target practice.] Said Alexia, strapping her gun on her back before opening the door and walking outside.
"D'accord." [Alright.] Replied Fleur, following her cousin outside.
Alexia looked for a clear spot and found a flat plain that would work nicely. Pulling out her wand, she conjured a clay target shooter, a distance away from them. Fleur, meanwhile, took the time to check her weapon. Magical guns did not take physical bullets, they simply used magic but instead of spells, they shot out, concentrated bursts of magic, the type depending on its shooter's magic choice, similar to different spells. There was incendiary, explosive, acidic, frost and many more types of bursts that could be used. The fact that the weapons shoot concentrated magic produces lots of recoil, which meant that it required a lot of skill to aim properly.
"Les cibles d'argile rouges sont les tiennes, moi je prends les bleus. Tu veux courir ou être sur place?" [Red clay targets are yours, I'm taking blue. You want to run or stay still?] asked Alexia. Each target was worth ten points and shooting your opponent's target was minus twenty.
"Courir. Je sens que j'ai beaucoup d'énergie à bruler." [Running, I feel like I have a lot of energy to burn.] Said Fleur, already feeling the adrenaline rushing in her blood.
And soon enough, they were running all around the place, shooting the coloured enchanted clay targets that were being shot randomly into the air, swerving and picking up speed by magic. The girls were sliding all over the muddy ground. Loud splat were heard as they slipped and tumbled into the mud, sputtering as they tried to spit whatever went into their mouth. The air was filled with sounds of gunshots and exploding clay, the squishing of boots onto the soggy ground and a pair of laughter, with shrieks when they slipped and fell down.
An hour and a half later, Fleur was panting heavily, soaked to the bones and covered in mud, still giggling with her equally soaked and muddy cousin. She was feeling a lot better. No one even cared about the score. Alexia grinned at the relaxed face of her cousin, her job was done.
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A few hours later, Hermione was woken up by Ginny who had come to check on her.
"Hey, wake up," said the redhead, shaking Hermione a little.
"Hmm?" Hermione murmured as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. She felt disoriented for a few minutes before she realised that she was in her bed, tangled in her crimson blanket.
"It's dinner time. You might want to get something to eat. Come on," said Ginny, helping her out the bed. Hermione only took a few minutes to freshen up, wearing a simple Gryffindor shirt and her favourite blue jeans. She quickly slipped on her white sneakers before she and Ginny descended the Grand Staircase together.
As soon as Hermione entered the Great Hall, she spotted Fleur already seated at the Ravenclaw table, animatedly talking to the blondes she was sitting next to. She took her seat at the Gryffindor table, keeping her eyes on the blonde and was pleased to see her eating dinner. At least she is eating. She took the example and filled her plate with food. Her nap had made her hungry as you could hear from her grumbling stomach. She had missed lunch while napping.
The dinner itself was pleasant, with a light conversation with Harry and Ron, mostly because they kept talking about the first Quidditch match taking place tomorrow, Slytherin versus Beauxbatons and they were trying to guess who was in the Beauxbatons team.
When dinner was over, Hermione made her mind and took off in a run towards the Great Oak doors, ignoring Ron calling after her. She was trying to catch up with Fleur, who had just gone through the huge doors.
"Fleur!" she called, trying to pass through the small gaps in the throngs of students around her, she pushed and shoved till she found herself, in the castle courtyard, "Fleur!"
Hearing her name being called out, Fleur turned around and was shocked to see Hermione rushing towards her. She waited for the girl to reach her, trying to understand why the Gryffindor could be calling her.
"Fleur…" Hermione panted heavily as she stopped in front of the blonde. She hunched a little bit, trying to catch her breath. Fleur stood silently, patiently waiting.
"Can I speak with you in private?" asked Hermione. While the courtyard was dark, illuminated by only a few torches on the stone walls, she still felt the need to find a more secluded place.
"Sure Mademoiselle Granger. It iz still early and I waz going to take a walk to ze lake. Would you like to accompany me?" asked Fleur politely, before she focused her gaze at the sky. It was clear tonight, the stars glittering like diamonds against the midnight blue canvas.
Hermione nodded, stung a little bit that the French girl had reverted back to calling her Granger. They walked silently to the lake, which looked calm and peaceful at this time of the night. There was a chilly breeze whiffling around and Hermione shivered. She was still in her casual clothes and hadn't taken a cloak with her, not foreseeing that she would be going outside. She was shaken out of her musing by a weight settling on her shoulders. Turning, she realised that Fleur had taken off her blue Beauxbatons cloak and wrapped it onto her shoulders.
"Fleur, there is no need…" she started to protest.
"Take it. It iz fine," insisted the blonde, her face neutral but her voice commanding, clearly saying that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Hermione reluctantly nodded, pulling the cloak tighter around her, pleasantly surprised to smell jasmine and something unique. She couldn't place it but it made her feel safe. They continued their journey towards the lake. Hermione, looking at the blonde from the corner of her eyes. She noticed how the blonde was a few inches taller than her and walked with grace and authority.
They both sat on a wide fallen tree trunk, which was close enough to the lake that they could hear and see the water lapping gently onto the pebbly shore. Fleur took out her wand and cast out a warming spell which enveloped Hermione like a blanket of comfort. She then conjured a few flames around them to dissipate the darkness, projecting a soft golden glow around. After a few minutes of silence other than the sounds of the wind blowing around them and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore, Hermione started to fidget, not knowing how to start her apology. It would seem that even with all her planning, her courage was failing her at the moment.
"You fainted earlier. Are you feeling alright now?" Fleur broke the silence, scanning the pale face in front of her with concern. The brunette looked small in her cloak and had been looking so lost since they sat down.
The sincerity of the concern, reflected in the cerulean orbs in front of her, amazed her and made her feel even guiltier with the way she had treated the French.
"I am fine, thank you for taking me to the Infirmary" she replied, eyeing the bark texture beside her while twisting her hands on her lap, "and… Uhm, thank you for the book, no one has even given me a gift like that before."
"I am 'appy that you liked it," smiled Fleur, content that even if the girl didn't like her, she had appreciated the gift.
"I…I shall return it to you as soon as I finish with it," promised Hermione, not looking at the blonde, "From what it looks like, it seems to be one of your favourite books. I'll study it and return it to you."
Shaking her head, Fleur replied, "Zhere is no need to return it. It iz indeed one of my favourite books. The spells in it are very difficult but amazing. It will take you some time to finish it all. I wanted you to 'ave it."
Touched by the generosity of the blonde, Hermione decided it was time. "I also want to apologise…" taking a deep breath, she continued in a whisper, voice laced with regret yet determination, "I am sorry for the way I have treated you. I'm so sorry… I don't know why I behaved that way. I've never behaved like that before. It makes no sense! I'm so sorr-" she apologised sincerely feeling herself tear up as the guilt she felt was crushing her like a giant sitting on her chest. Feeling a warmth settle on her cheeks, she lifted her gaze to realise that Fleur had cupped her cheeks with both hands and was gently wiping her tears with thumbs.
"It iz ok," whispered Fleur, her lilting voice laced with warmth and comfort that washed over Hermione. Hermione's usual chocolate eyes had changed into caramel with gold flecks in them due to the glow of the flames and the view of them moist with tears broke Fleur's heart "Was it something I did?" Fleur asked hesitantly.
Hermione shook her head, "No, you didn't do anything. You have been incredibly kind and polite from the start. I don't know what caused my outburst. Believe me Fleur, I have never behaved that way before," Hermione urged the blonde to believe her.
"I believe you," replied the blonde, nodding gently. The blonde knew that the brunette was one of the kindest people. She has heard of the brunette's S.P.E.W campaign and seen her with others, always being helpful and a just Head Girl and that was why she thought she must have done something to upset such a gentle soul.
Hermione nodded slightly in response. She didn't know what to say next. She hadn't expected her apology to be accepted so swiftly and hadn't thought the blonde would believe her so easily. She tried to reign her tears in, blinking to clear her hazy vision, till it became clearer and she suddenly realised how close Fleur was to her, the blonde hair framing the fair face, small wisps of it fluttering in the breeze, the flames giving it a glow, making it look like spun gold. The usual blue eyes were darker, mirroring the colour the sky was at that moment, midnight blue and yet they were so clear that they reflected the dancing flames floating around them, it was like glittering stars in the sky, something that Hermione found intriguing.
Fleur could not avert her eyes from the beautiful woman in front of her, the golden light making her features stand out, the brown hair like a wild mane around the adorable face. She could feel the brunette's warm breath caressing her face like the gentlest of breezes. The intelligent eyes full of knowledge just lured her like the song of Sirens. She felt like a helpless sailor being reeled in, knowing deep down, she was so close to crashing on the rocky reefs that she couldn't see due to the fog in her heart. Steeling her nerves, it took all of her internal strength to put a distance between her and the angelic face that was still cupped in her hands. She also tried not to think about the moist rose lips that came into focus as she backed away and removed her hands.
Hermione drew in a sharp breath, she could see the blonde's face moving away from hers and she so wanted to pull it back closer. She didn't know why but it made her feel safe to look at the blue eyes from so close, to see the subtle changes in colour and depth, like how small ripples change the surface of water. She acutely felt the loss of warmth as the soft hands left her face. She could see the dark eyes slowly averting themselves, breaking the connection.
Probing her brain to find something to say to bring back the focus of those azure orbs onto her, she blurted out the next thing that came into her mind, "Will you be my friend?" before blushing furiously in embarrassment.
The azure eyes did indeed come back to focus on her, opening wider as if tempting her to peer deeper into them, to look for something hidden inside their depth. The huge smile that erupted on the blonde's face was worth her embarrassment though, it made the blue get a bit lighter and sparkle, like when the moonlight hits the lake just right to create silver sparkles, making her eyes look like sapphires.
"I would love to be friends wiz Mademoiselle Granger!" replied Fleur, voice breathy as her accent became more prominent with the joy she was feeling.
Hermione beamed at the other girl hearing the happiness in her voice and couldn't help herself. She threw herself at the blonde, wrapping her arms around her and squeezed tightly. She was so happy and relieved! She still felt strange around the blonde but it no longer held any of the previous dislike.
Fleur returned the hug, wrapping her arms around her mate for the very first time. She could feel the heat seeping into every spot that Hermione was in contact with. The air was filled with the scent of honey, lavender and parchment. She tightened her arms around her love and unconsciously burrowed her nose into the bushy chestnut hair in front of her, inhaling deeply.
"Stop calling me Granger then. I'm Hermione" mumbled the brunette, her own nose buried in the collarbone of the blonde. The French girl carried the smell of jasmine and morning dew, it made Hermione feel even stranger, yet not unpleasantly so. She also realised that the smell she couldn't place earlier was just Fleur.
"'Ermione" Fleur whispered reverently into the night, sending an unnoticed shiver down Hermione's spine. They then separated a few minutes later but kept sitting close. They relaxed and chatted about everything and anything, talking for more than two hours before having to go back to their quarters due to curfew but Hermione didn't leave before extracting a promise of meeting in the library in the afternoon tomorrow and saying sorry again.
They bid each other goodnight, both having huge smiles on their faces as they walked back to their rooms.
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Breakfast, the next day, was spent by both girls shooting shy glances at each other much to the amusement of Alexia and Gabrielle.
They bugged Fleur so much for details after breakfast that she relented and told them that she had realised that Hermione was indeed her mate and they became friends and she was meeting her later at the library.
"C'est merveilleux!" [It's great!], exclaimed Gabrielle in glee.
Alexia laughed and thumped Fleur in the back, voicing out her congratulations.
"Nozing happened yet!" said Fleur exasperated.
"Oh! Tu nous parles en Anglais maintenant? [Oh! You speak to us in English Now?] She must 'ave rubbed off you," joked Alexia as Gabrielle laughed.
Blushing furiously, Fleur just huffed and walked to her classes, leaving her laughing cousin and sister behind. Gabrielle, since she was the youngest of the exchange, had different classes from her sister while Alexia, being the same age as Fleur, shared the same classes with her. Alexia kept on teasing Fleur all the way to Transfiguration, not stopping even during class which resulted in them getting scolded by McGonagall. Class was hard to concentrate on as she kept glancing at Hermione sitting a few desks away.
At lunch, more shy glances were exchanged and Fleur suffered more teasing from the two pests. She felt like she was going to stay flushed all day. The din of the Great Hall was broken by a sharp cry and Fleur looked up to see Artemis glide down to her, a letter grasped between its talons which it dropped on her table before the bird landed in front of her.
She fed little bits of her chicken to her white gyrfalcon. The bird had tiny black spots over her white feathers and had been Fleur's companion since she was five and found her in the forest behind the Delacour Mansion where she was having a picnic with her parents. She had found the little bird on the forest floor all alone and with the help of her Maman and Papa, had taken her home and cared for her. Since then, they have been inseparable. Grabbing the envelope, she broke the wax seal bearing the Delacour Crest on it, removing the parchment inside and unfolded it.
Fleur,
You have met your mate! It makes me so happy to hear such good news.
Just the way, your mother and I have taught you, you must have patience. You must woo her. Your mother is very excited and she orders you to give more details on the girl that you love and also to send a photo of her.
Offer your beloved, friendship, sincerity, be honest, polite but do not be hasty to tell her everything about the Veela. Feelings, they take time to bloom. You have to be patient and give her time. Don't forget to give her gifts. I always liked gifts. Now that I think about it, your grandfather doesn't give me gifts anymore. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!
[As you know, your body is going to go through a new period of change. Your magic is going to become more powerful, you'll be able to use it without your wand more but beware, it is easy to deplete your source of magic and that is not good for your health so take care of yourself. I am going to send you some books on the life and customs of the Veela. You will give them to your beautiful when she is ready. Take care of yourself and don't forget to send us that photo. We are impatient! I'm looking forward to having great-grandchildren!
Your Grandmother
There was more written after that and she continued reading,
Oh my Fleur, my daughter, I am so happy that you have found your love! It's time for you to launch the natural charm that you have inherited from me, of course!
Your father is so happy to hear that you have fallen in love with a girl! He says he has always been afraid that your love would be a boy and that the vermin would make his daughter fall pregnant in the next weeks after you met him. I do not understand your father. We have magic, it is still possible even if you are with a girl.
I demand a photo! And also regular news on how the seduction of your beloved is going! I'm sure it will go marvellously, because you are my daughter, of course!
I am impatient! Good luck and kisses for you, my love! Mom and Dad are proud of you!
Your amazing mother
All throughout the reading of her mother's part of the letter, her eyebrows had been climbing up her face. Hearing snickering behind her, she turned to find that Alexia and Gabrielle had been reading the letter over her shoulder.
"Grand-mère et tantine Apolline sont trop drôles!" ["Grandmother and aunty Apolline are too funny!"] said Alexia, bursting into laughter.
"Je ne comprends toujours pas comment elles sont si différentes de nous. Elles ont une personnalité, hmm, je dirais plutôt flamboyante," [I still don't understand how they are so different from us. They have a personality, hmm, I would say, rather flamboyant], said Gabrielle, shaking her head in exasperation.
Fleur nodded in agreement. "Elles ont toujours été comme ça… Ma mère parle de grossesse et grand-mère parle d'arrière-petits-enfants en une seule lettre! Tuez moi, s'il vous plait!" [They have always been like that… My mother talks about pregnancy and grandmother talks about great grandchildren in just one letter! Kill me please!], She groaned in mortification, burying her face in the parchment.
Alexia and Gabrielle laughed to tears, patting the poor Fleur on her head.