On Teenagers & Love
a story by anamatics
Part Two
Chapter Twelve - On Explanations
Harry's occlumency lessons are a disaster, so much so that in one of her letters to Fleur Hermione asks if she's ever studied the art. When Fleur's reply comes back in the negative, Hermione hangs her head and slumps down over her toast and orange juice.
"Take it Fleur's never done it either?" Ron asks when he sees Hermione's defeated look. There are no books in the library on occlumency that describe it as more than a theoretical practice. Hermione is absolutely positive that Snape has books on the subject but they're not really supposed to know that Harry's getting lessons in the first place. She can't exactly go up and ask him if he'd be willing to let her borrow them, the man isn't exactly friendly on his best days. She chews on her lip and reaches for another slice of toast.
"She says that it was not covered as part of the curriculum at Beauxbatons," Hermione folds the letter carefully and tucks it into her Ancient Runes textbook. She has a free period while Harry and Ron go and suffer Professor Trelawney's terrible excuse for a class, and Fleur's written a great deal more than just an answer to the occlumency question.
"Bugger," Ron mutters.
"Mn," Hermione agrees.
She walks Harry and Ron to the stairs that lead up towards the divination classroom, saying goodbye to them before she hangs a left and heads down the corridor towards the library.
A pang of loneliness fills Hermione's heart as she walks into the library. It's a place that she'd come to associate with Fleur over the previous school year. That time was gone now, and Hermione has to move past it. She very purposefully does not walk to the alcove towards the Restricted Section where she and Fleur had lingered when Hermione really should have been in class. Instead, Hermione settles in one of the arm chairs towards the front, near Madame Pince's desk.
The librarian gives Hermione a polite nod as she walks by the circulation desk as soon as she sees that Hermione is without Harry and Ron. Hermione smiles politely back and pulls her Ancient Runes textbook and Fleur's letter out from where she's put it for safekeeping.
Mon Amour, it begins in Fleur's flowing script.
It truly pains me that I can offer no help to you or Harry. Occlumency was not a covered subject at Beauxbatons, and I have no idea what sort of books you should look for in order to help Harry have better luck with his lessons. Professor Snape is very challenging to work with in a group; I cannot imagine what he would be like one on one. Harry is a braver soul than I.
I miss you more with every passing moment. Perhaps I was a fool to make that promise to you when I did. There is a war coming, and there are times when I wonder if it is my grandmother's influence or my French heritage that makes me the romantic that I am. I wanted you to have it, because that is my intent. Veela love only with time and it is a great and terrible love. For one to find it at such a young age is rare indeed.
I am glad I found you, Hermione. You have come to represent so much to me as I try to make myself into a person you could make the same promise to. I hope that I can live up to your expectations. I love you.
Do not worry about Mlle. Parkinson. She will not share the details with her head of house or any of her peers because she has been raised in the old English wizarding way. She would know better than to offend a veela, even on whose blood is as diluted as my own. To tell others when it has not been announced would be a slight that might bring ill luck (if she is the superstitious type) upon her family name. There was once a time when Veela were guardians of the hearth and household, but that time has long since passed.
I know that the responsibility of such a promise must weigh on you, but when I saw how that woman looked at you, I could not help myself. I am not there to protect you from her ire, and while I know that you can take care of yourself, I cannot help myself at times. She is truly vile and I cannot stand the idea of her hurting you and your education any more than she already has. I've enclosed some of my notes from my own fifth year with this letter. Perhaps they will be of some use to you with your endeavors to be prepared for your examinations. Don't worry, I have translated them.
I miss you terribly with every passing day. Professor Dumbledore told me that the Hogsmeade visit for this coming month falls on Valentine's Day. Would you like to suggest a place?
I await your word, as always.
Fleur.
Hermione swallows and swipes at her eyes. She's a hormonal mess these days, and she mentally counts back the days since she last had her monthly. It makes sense that she's early, because she certainly is not one of those girls who gets teary eyed over a simple and heart-felt letter. She sniffs one more time and hates that she can't seem to get herself together enough to actually pen a reply to Fleur.
There is a muggle pen buried at the base of her bag, and she fishes it out along with a composition book that she'd purchased at the corner shop just down the street from Grimmauld Place. Hermione clicks the back of the pen, drawing the nib out, and opens the composition book to a blank page.
Mom and Dad - she writes. I've successfully made it back to Hogwarts after a rather hectic trip back to school on the wizarding bussing system – more commonly known as the Knight Bus. There was concern about the trains, and a great many students ended up taking the bus back to the village. She's not exactly being truthful there, but what her parents don't know really can't hurt them. They'd been the only students not to ride the train, a fact that she is absolutely positive had been noted by Umbridge. She adds, as if for good measure, another lie, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid came to fetch us and take us back to school.
I'm actually writing to tell you about a conversation that Fleur and I had right before I left to return to school. This past October, Hermione puts the back of the pen in her mouth and sucks on it pensively, debating how best to word what she's about to say. It's best to not risk exposing anything that might potentially incriminate Professor Umbridge in case the school's owl is intercepted, but Hermione desperately wants to tell her parents about the horrible troll that the defense professor is. She settles the pen once more, tempering her want to complain about Umbridge.Fleur came to visit. Don't worry; I wasn't breaking any school rules. Sometimes parents will come to the village and have meals with particularly homesick students. As a prefect, I've arranged it a few times already this year.
While Fleur was visiting, we were met by a professor who took issue with the relationship that Fleur and I share. I didn't know what to do, but Fleur said just enough to make her leave once more, but I think the experience shook her up a great deal. As I mentioned before, Fleur has some heritage that is not entirely human. There are many beings in the world that are not human, but are sentient and capable of forming interpersonal relationships with humans. Fleur's grandmother was a creature known as a veela. They are beautiful women that some scholars think were the inspiration for the Greco-Roman myths of sirens and harpies as they take on a bird shape when angered.
Unlike the relationship between people like myself – of non-magical origins – and wizards who are of mixed or fully-magical heritage; it is quite common within the wizarding community to intermarry with such creatures as it helps to keep magic strong within families. There have been some studies that I've read that imply that without this intermarriage that magic slowly leaves a family line. Regardless, it's fairly common within the wizarding community.
This professor's comments, however, were not about the fact that we are both girls, but rather that Fleur is not fully human. Veela are a proud race, and to offend one is a great slight within wizarding society. Fleur held herself in check nicely, I was impressed.
The professor, however, cannot hurt Fleur. Fleur is of age and no longer in a school that this professor holds any influence over. I, however, am still under her purview, and as such, Fleur offered me a necklace and I was very reluctant to accept.
You see, to accept jewelry from a veela is almost like a promise ring is in some sects of Christianity. It is a promise of fidelity and in some cases almost like a pre-engagement. Fleur did not offer it to me with that in mind, I assure you!
No, what you must understand is that there are very specific sorts of jewelry that are offered, we learned about them in Care of Magical Creatures class just a few months ago. Fleur wanted the jewelry to be seen by the professor in question because she felt that if it was seen, then I would not be harassed for being with her. It is taught that an offense on a veela's intended is an offense on all veela, and I think Fleur really just wanted to save me some grief from those among the staff here who are not as open-minded as my peers are.
I wanted to tell you both now, before you hear about it from anyone else. As of right now, it is nearly an empty gesture. Please remember that I would never do something as drastic as that at sixteen, you both raised me better than that.
I love you both,
Hermione
It's not quite perfect, but it's all that Hermione can think to say.
