On Teenagers & Love
a story by anamatics
Part Two
Chapter Ten- On Promises
AN: and now we take a turn for the slightly different!
Going back to school is horrible. Dumbledore, according to Sirius and Tonks, is worried about there being possible attacks on the train. The plan is to take the Knight Bus directly from Grimmauld Place to Hogsmeade and Hermione already hates the idea of it given Harry's descriptions of his ride on it the summer before third year. Tonks and Professor Lupin are going to ride with them, just to ensure that they make it back in one piece.
Fleur is sitting in the front parlor of Grimmauld Place, talking to Tonks and Bill Weasley when Hermione finds them. Their morning has been hurried and unpleasant, the hot water heater is broken again and Kreacher refuses to fix it. Even in the front parlor, she can hear Sirius yelling at the blasted machine from all the way down in the basement.
Bill smiles at Hermione and she gives him a one-armed hug. She's never had a big brother before, but that's what Bill really feels like to her. Charlie's never really been around, but Hermione's gotten to know Bill pretty well as she's gotten to know the Weasleys better. He's a good man, a great friend to Fleur. Fleur's confessed that he's been invaluable with advice when it comes to working her way through achieving a mastery, as he'd done it himself.
"Alright, Hermione?" He says and she nods. Her eyes are trained on Fleur. It's eleven now, and the Knight Bus is supposed to arrive at noon on the dot. She's scarcely had a free moment to think, let alone speak to Fleur. Not to mention that she's been up half the night making O.W.L. study planners for herself, Ron and Harry. She's sure that they'll definitely help the three of them to be as prepared as they can possibly be for the exams in June.
Fleur had watched her work from behind an old spell book that she'd found in the library. It was written in Old French, so Fleur was slowly translating it as a favor for Dumbledore and Sirius as they apparently taught the language at Beauxbatons.
"Zey are not going to like zat," she had pointed out after Hermione had scowled and replaced yet another page after an errant blob of ink dripped down onto the page she was copying. She's going to charm the planners to recite useful reminders throughout the coming days and weeks before she gives them to Harry and Ron, but she's still got the trace on her, so that will have to wait until she's back at school.
She'd turned to glare at Fleur, who had smiled that cheeky smile that Hermione had grown so attached to. "Why do you think that?"
"Zey are not 'ou, 'ermione," Fleur had explained. "Zey do not 'ave the 'ead for knowledge zat 'ou 'ave."
Hermione had flushed and muttered that she would make them use the homework planners if it was the last thing she did. Harry and Ron were positively infuriating at times - they cared so little for their academics.
Hermione understood it with Harry to some extent, but Ron had two head boys in his family! As much as she was loath to admit it, Fred and George were also pretty talented and Ginny was well ahead of the rest of her year when it came to her best subjects.
If only he'd apply himself, Hermione thinks ruefully.
"Did you want a mo'?" Bill asks, glancing between Hermione and Fleur. Tonks has already gotten up and has knocked over a potted plant in the corner. She's repairing it, her cheeks and hair a bright, embarrassed red.
Fleur nods and Bill stands up and smiles brightly at the pair of them. "Knight Bus comes at noon, make sure you're all collected," he says, tapping his watch with his finger. He helps Tonks to right the plant and closes the door behind them when they leave.
"I don't want to go back," Hermione confesses quietly. She's full of dread, not knowing what's set to happy back at school or out in the real world. Fleur's already gone back to work, coming home with overheard whisperings by her goblin peers about the coming fight. She's worried about Fleur, because she knows that while Fleur is certainly not a Gryffindor, she has that same fool-hardy trait in her.
Fleur's eyes are particularly dark as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small leather pouch. "I do not want 'ou to leave eizer, chèrie," Fleur agrees. She takes Hermione's hand and tips the leather pouch over. "I 'ad meant to give zis to 'ou before now, but les temps... zey were never quite correct."
In Hermione's palm there is a thin silver chain with a small, pale blue circular stone at its center. Hermione holds it up, staring at it with wide eyes.
"I cannot ask zat 'ou wear it, only zat when 'ou do, zat 'ou never take it off," Fleur continues, her eyes wide and nervous.
She's read the book that Fleur had given her for her birthday enough times that she knows what this present means, and she swallows hotly. "I..." she starts, picking her words very carefully. There are parts of Fleur's being that are not entirely human, and her reaction to what Hermione says to this will not be human at all. "I accept," she knows she's faltered, stuttered like a fool, but she can't believe that Fleur would offer it so freely.
"Bon," Fleur says, her lips are a thin line.
Hermione's brow furrows. She can understand Fleur's hesitation, but she doesn't like the way that Fleur doesn't really seem happy. "Is everything alright?"
"It is jus' zat my intention was not to give zis to 'ou at zis moment," Fleur runs a hand though her hair and stares at the necklace in Hermione's hand. "But I saw 'ow zat 'orrible woman was. If it is official, so to speak, she cannot punish 'ou for being wiz me."
"She wouldn't dare," Hermione says angrily, undoing the necklace and looping it under her hair. She fumbles with the clasp and Fleur scoots forward, taking the delicate chain from Hermione and fastening it around her neck. It falls around Hermione's neck, warm and comforting.
Fleur trails her fingers down to rest on the stone, her eyes half-closed and her features shifting under Hermione's gaze. Hermione has only seen this once before, and she swallows. Fleur cannot shift, not as a full Veela can, but her features do change. "Zis is 'ow we are," Fleur whispers. "Je," she starts in French and falters, but Hermione gives the barest of nods for encouragement. She wants to hear what Fleur has to say. Fleur seems to find herself after that first faltering moment and finally says, "Je le veux, 'ermione. More zan any'zing."
"It would be an honor," Hermione whispers fiercely. She leans in and presses her lips to Fleur's, desperate to say everything that she cannot say out loud. Fleur's fingers tangle in her hair and Hermione says yes in a thousand ways, over and over again.
They do not say goodbye later, and Hermione clambers onto the Knight Bus with some trepidation, settling onto a bed next to Ginny. The necklace and the implications of it weigh heavily on her as Grimmauld place fades out of view.
"Alright?" Ginny asks, nudging Hermione in the arm.
She starts, her fingers tangled up in the necklace.
"Yes," Hermione lies. "I'm fine."
She has no idea how she's ever going to explain this and her hands are itching to do something. She has yarn in her bag – she'd brought it from school thinking that she might have some downtime over the holiday to knit some more hats for the Hogwarts house elves. Hermione is about to reach into her bag for her needles and the ball of yarn when the Knight Bus lurches suddenly to the left and she feels her breakfast surge angrily against her stomach.
Maybe after they get back to Hogwarts she can try to knit some. Right now she has to focus on keeping her stomach.
