On Teenagers and Love

a story by anamatics

part three - the fog

Chapter 19 - On Departure


The letters Hermione and Fleur exchange over the next two weeks are brief, and Hermione wrestles with the question of if she should tell Fleur about Pansy for all of a day before deciding on the route of honesty. Fleur confirms that Pansy is correct, the cost of disownment is, according to her at least, designed to make families rethink the process. And when Hermione confesses her confusion at Pansy's sharing the information about her family and herself to Fleur, telling Fleur of how Pansy's remained exactly the same as before – only now she talks about girls more, Fleur suggests that maybe this is Pansy's trying to correct some sins of her parents. Hermione isn't sure she'd go that far, it would be like Draco Malfoy reforming entirely, but still, Hermione takes it as the proverbial olive branch she and Fleur agree it is.

It is a relief to know that Pansy doesn't like her in that way. She's got a hopeless crush on Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff but won't ever do anything about it because she can't be seen being interested in a Hufflepuff. Hermione tells her that she should at least try and talk to her, since she's so obviously interested, but Pansy just turns up her nose and changes the subject.

Their conversations have become freer of late. Hermione's grateful for it. Even more so when, one soggy morning two days before their second apparition lesson, an unfamiliar owl swoops in from a window they've just found open during their early morning patrol and drops a letter onto the ground in front of Hermione before hopping back onto the sill and out into the rain before Pansy can close the window. Hermione bends to pick up the letter as Pansy reapplies the anti-draft charm and locks the window. "It's from Fleur," she says. The owl was unfamiliar, which meant she probably wrote from work. Frowning, Hermione opens the letter without caring that Pansy's watching her with interest.

Mon Amour –

Please forgive my brevity. KS and AD have requested I accept a transfer assignment to the Paris branch on a temporary loan basis for the next two to three months. Bill is already there with Marietta – they're working on an old vault they've just discovered in the catacombs that is giving the goblins fits. No idea what they've found. Will try and arrange a floo call through MMG to tell you all about it when I know more.

This is a good thing, I think. I will be able to convince my mother that this endeavor is worthwhile, and build another valuable entry for my CV. As I will be here through the Easter holiday, perhaps you could join me?

Je t'adore, toujours,

F

Sighing, Hermione folds the letter and pockets it.

"Everything alright?" Pansy asks.

"Fleur's in France," Hermione answers. "And will be for the next few months. Something for work, they've found a vault in the Paris catacombs that's apparently giving the goblins fits."

"Sounds…dirty," Pansy settles on, her nose wrinkled. "And probably very dangerous."

Shrugging, Hermione wraps her robes more tightly around herself. "I think it sounds exciting."

"You still thinking about going into cursebreaking?" Pansy yawns. This patrol is so early they're both still half asleep and Hermione refuses to visit the kitchens for tea or coffee before they start their rounds because she doesn't want to force the house elves out of bed any earlier than the school requires them to be.

"Dunno," Hermione confesses. "I feel pulled in a million different directions and..."

And I don't know if we'll be able to finish our N.E.W.T.s with Voldemort on the rise – or if this friendship will last past the end of the school term. So much is unknown right now I feel like I cannot plan for a future.

What is left unsaid lies heavy between them.

"Well, don't make me compete with you for arithmancy," Pansy says shortly. She moves off down the hall and leaves Hermione to cast drying charms on the water that's leaked onto the floor.

Things have been so strange of late that Hermione's almost found herself wishing for Umbridge and the predictability of feeling angry all the time. Harry's not resumed the DA, mostly because Snape is a master at the subject despite his horribleness and they're all learning quite a bit in his class. She misses Fleur, and hates that she'll be even further away now – when daily letters will become letters once or twice a week. Frowning, Hermione moves after Pansy and the general warmth of the Great Hall.