Chapter 6 - Momentum
It was silent for a long moment, and Fleur began to panic about possibly having delivered the news too soon. Hermione's mind, on the other hand, was running a mile a minute, but she was neither shocked nor surprised. It felt right. It felt right and completely natural. Of course, rationally, she could never have so easily imagined herself as Fleur's soulmate. When she heard a small sob, Hermione returned her focus to Fleur. Her soulmate, she thought giddily.
The blue eyes she loved so much were shining with tears. Fleur was staring at her hands, and silent droplets of bitter rejection suffused those eyes with pain, slipping down her cheeks.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Hermione reached out to blonde, who upon hearing the word 'no,' cringed even more, curling into herself. "Don't hide from me, beautiful," Hermione coaxed gently, with a hand under Fleur's chin, she urged the blonde to look up. "I just can't believe that I am so, so, lucky," Fleur's eyes widened, and Hermione softly stroked the blonde's cheek. "During the Triwizard Tournament, I just felt jealous of you, and thought it was because of Ronald. I was too immature, too young, and unsure of my own sexuality to recognize attraction when it was there in front of my face. It felt like my heart broke a little during the wedding ceremony, but I was in such a difficult situation, I couldn't stop and analyze the reason for it. This whole time I've wanted you, and I didn't know, and then all these years had passed... I just couldn't believe the universe gave me another chance to be with you."
"I had a strong feeling that you were the right person for me during the ceremony, but you were still underage," Fleur admitted softly. "But how could I get out of the hole I had dug for myself? Bill was a good man. He didn't deserve something like that during his own wedding. And there was still the fact that I didn't know how you were going to react, and the damn war." The blonde leaned towards Hermione and their foreheads touched lightly. "When you arrived at the cottage battered and bleeding, and on the verge of death, I knew that I would do everything and anything possible to save you. That was when I knew you were my soulmate. My Veela screamed at me to save you no matter what. I did everything I could, and when you left me, my heart went with you. And seeing that I missed my chance, that you might not come back from that insane plan of breaking into Gringotts, I did what I could with my marriage." Fleur sighed against Hermione's face, and slid her hand up the brunette's neck.
"He was never enough, but he was who I had by my side at the time. So I did the least sensible thing, I upheld an inappropriate marriage, and when you definitely disappeared from my life...I couldn't take it without even the little glimpses of you." Hermione felt her heart fill and the words flowed smoothly over the skin of Fleur's neck, just below her ear.
"Every night I tried to empty my heart, but by morning it's full again, droplets of you would seep in through the night's soft caress. By dawn I am overflowing with thoughts of us, an aching pleasure that gives me no respite. Love cannot be contained in some neat packaging that my desire splits asunder, spilling crimson throughout my days. Long, languishing days that are now bruised tender with yearning, are spent searching for a fingerprint, a scent, a breath you left behind." Fleur's head snapped out of place on Hermione's neck and her blue eyes were wide when they met her brown eyes. "It is a poem from a muggle movie, when I forced Pansy to watch movies with me, and when we were studying in Paris, this poem hit me like a freight train. And I knew that feeling was so palpable for me, and yet so distant for me to be able to identify. It was as if I missed something I never had, and that realization hurt so much. I wanted to know why my heart was crying for something I never had a chance to miss." Hermione kissed Fleur's cheek in a sweet caress. "I felt my heart shatter from a distance, for wanting you silently, unconsciously for so long."
They looked at each other for a long moment, smiles slowly forming. It was what both needed at the time. Reaffirmation that it was not an unattainable dream, reaffirmation that they were more than enough for each other. But Hermione's ever-active curiosity rose once again.
"I would really like to understand how the connection process will take place from now on. Is kissing the first step?" She questioned after a long time, and Fleur just smiled. She leaned over and arranged a pillow so she could lean back against the headboard. Hermione observed the blonde's actions, and when Fleur opened her arms invitingly for a hug, Hermione gave in, her head on Fleur's chest listening to her heart racing against her ear, and her fingers dragging along her arms, hair and back. The brunette felt herself relax.
"A kiss does not initiate the bonding itself, it is a little deeper than that, and both parties need to be aware that it is a process of bonding. Our next kiss will substantiate this. If it were that easy for the connection to happen, teenage adventures or young adults would generate mates on all sides." Fleur laughed lightly. "Naturally sex will become more of a need, not only because Veela are sexual, but also because it indicates a step forward. Nothing needs to be rushed, but eventually we will get to the 'fucking like bunnies' part as Gabby would say." With that sentence Hermione burst out laughing and was soon joined by Fleur.
"So I'm going to want to jump your bones even more?" Shortly after saying that, Hermione let out a squeak when Fleur quickly moved on top of her, her platinum blonde hair like a veil around them. Fleur's pupils burst and Hermione only allowed herself to deliver a naughty smile. "Oh, does someone like hearing how desirable they are?" Hermione's voice was hoarse, a few tones below normal. Fleur shivered over her, her arms giving out slightly and making their upper bodies touch.
Hermone's hands went to the side of Fleur's body, dancing over her ribs, making the blonde gasp slightly because of tickles. Fleur didn't have time to complain about the action, since Hermione leaned up and brought their mouths open in a kiss that quickly deepened.
She felt the difference in the kiss in the first second. It was as if gentle hands were cradling her heart, as if a soft warmth took over her body and her magic moved actively within Fleur's own magical core. She felt connected to Fleur on an almost animalistic level.
Fleur didn't have time to react; in an instinctive action Hermione threw her onto her back, placing herself between Fleur's legs and continuing the kiss with fervor. Without conscious thought, Hermione's hands wandered inside Fleur's t-shirt, tracing the soft skin of her ribs and making the blonde moan and arch her back, disconnecting their mouths.
Hermione merely changed course, her mouth almost burning a trail on Fleur's chin, jaw and neck. The brunette controlled the natural instinct to mark, to own, and show dominance. This was still too early for their relationship, so Hermione forced herself to let go of the skin she was nibbling and kissing and move back to Fleur's mouth. But she didn't miss the sensation of the blonde's own wandering hands bypassing her shirt, going up and down her back.
"We. Really. Should. Slow down," Hermione muttered between sighs and gasps from Fleur's nails teasing her skin.
The pitiful attempt to try to calm the situation was lost when Fleur's leg came up to Hermione's hip, pulling the brunette against her heated center. Fleur moaned against the Gryffindor's lips, and the hands that were on her back went straight to the brunette's ass, pulling her even closer against herself. The veela arched her back and in an instinctive, slow, and deliberate movement, she rubbed herself against Hermione's leg, letting out a wanton groan.
One of Hermione's hands went straight to the top of Fleur's head, holding her hair in a light grasp. The other hand traveled to the back of the thigh that was pressed against her hip. At that moment she felt whatever common sense she had left fade away.
Hermione held Fleur firmly and allowed herself to press her leg against the French woman. The blonde closed her eyes, placed a hand on the back of Hermione's neck, and pulled her into another deep, intense kiss. Everything was escalating quickly. Fleur rocked her hips against Hermione's leg, feeling closer and closer to a mind-blowing orgasm. She moaned against Hermione's mouth, which spurred the brunette on, inciting her to make the blonde come. Nothing made more sense than giving pleasure to the woman she currently held tightly. Their tongues tangled, and Hermione felt Fleur's leg shudder around her, and she knew that Fleur only needed a tiny push in the right direction.
Hermione disconnected their mouths and went straight to Fleur's ear, nibbling and sighing against her. She again let her instincts rule, allowing the magical connection between them to strengthen, and she knew what Fleur needed to finally come.
"Cum for me like a good girl," she whispered, and Fleur's body snapped like a taut rubber band. She moaned at length, and clung to Hermione like a lifeline.
"Fuck, Hermione..." She gasped after a long moment. Fleur relaxed completely into the bed, her hands falling next to her head, seemingly unaware of her own body at the time. She slowly felt the light kisses Hermione was spreading on her face and neck. She sighed contentedly, and after a little while, managed to finally pull Hermione into a full-body hug.
"Well that was unexpected, but very pleasant," Fleur said playfully, and Hermione just snorted and laughed against her neck.
"Unexpected? Considering that it took us more than ten years for this to happen, I wouldn't say unexpected," Hermione chuckled and kissed Fleur's neck firmly. When the blonde pulled her in for a proper kiss, they were cut off by the sound of a small knock on the door.
"Miss Hermione? Galan was asked to call you for dinner!" He spoke excitedly on the other side of the door.
"I'm on my way, Galan, thank you very much!" Hermione shouted towards the door, and she laughed lightly at Fleur's confused look.
"Why doesn't he come in?"
"We had an awkward incident with him entering and me clad only in a towel. I informed him that I like my privacy, and he agreed that he would only enter if permission was granted." Hermione blushed and Fleur laughed at her shyness.
"You know that he doesn't care about naked human bodies, right?"
"Yes, I do know! But I don't like being taken by surprise like that." The Gryffindor went extremely red and left Fleur, getting up. The blonde just laughed and got up right after, kissing the soft lips in front of her. With a flick of Fleur's wand, both were presentable. They didn't think that going down together would make them extra, as the rooms were all in the same long corridor.
HGFDHGFDHGFD
Hermione sensed something was wrong when there was a knock on her bedroom door just after dinner. She knew it wasn't Fleur, since the blonde was in a meeting with her mother and grandmother. When she opened the door she found Gabby crying again, and without speaking, the brunette opened her arms and the younger veela allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. Carefully, she brought Gabby into her room, easing the blonde onto the bed, and allowing her to calm down at her own pace. They didn't speak, Hermione just sat next to her friend and gave her all the time necessary to put her thoughts in order and speak for herself.
"I messed up. Kind of massively," Gabby finally uttered hoarsely. "She thought we had been going out for months, and that the book about Veela was a way to teach her my customs without being under a lot of pressure."
"Oh." Hermione frowned, somewhat surprised. "And what happened?"
"I said I wanted to move on and get over my feelings for her. She asked why I wanted to end this, and I replied that there was nothing to end. She got mad, so mad that I began to panic. I ran like a goddamn coward, while she called for me, saying we still needed to talk. And now here I am," Gabby was visibly embarrassed. Hermione furrowed her brow and thought for a long moment. When the brunette got up and pulled on a jacket, it made Gabby jump to her feet. "Where are you going?"
"Sit down." The commanding voice was unexpectedly effective. Gabby's eyes widened and she sat back down on the edge of the bed as ordered. "Wait right there, I'll be right back." Hermione then left the room and apparated into the living room of her home with Luna in London.
The Ravenclaw was sitting on the couch, with bare feet and a mug in her hands. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were swollen from crying. She looked up at Hermione and smiled sadly.
"She broke up with me." Luna's voice was so broken that Hermione allowed herself just a moment to hug her friend, before focusing on resolving the situation.
"Come on, let's settle this now, Lu." Luna waved a hand and moved her mug to the coffee table.
"I knew you were going to meddle," Luna said good-naturedly. Hermione smiled and grabbed Luna's hand, and in a snap they apparated back in Hermione's room at the manor. The Gryffindor was pleased to see that Gabby was still in the same spot. The younger blonde now wore the same expression of panic as a dog about to be hit by a speeding car. Eyes wide with fright and hands visibly shaking.
"Now, for Morgana's sake, clarify the situation like bloody adults. I'm going to have some tea, and when I get back, I want you to take whatever this is to your room, Gabby." And with that, Hermione turned on her heel and walked out, not once looking back. She trusted that Gabby would now be mature enough to talk to Luna properly without any histrionics.
When Hermione eventually returned to her room, there were no signs of the two blondes. Just a small note on the pillow. Hermione smiled when she saw Gabby's messy handwriting saying that they had talked, and that everything was good now, and that they went back to the house in London.
HGFDHGFDHGFD
The next day brought the pleasant surprise that Bonnie was able to locate the stones that Hermione needed. She spoke quickly to Fleur that morning, since they were both busy, and the heiress promptly sent the necessary galleons to Bonnie. Bastien was not kidding when she said it would be expensive: 1700 galleons. It was a price that left Hermione's eyes wide, especially when Fleur just dismissed the amount cited, claiming that she expected it to be more costly.
But it was almost lunchtime. Hermione had received the stones, and was working attentively on attaching some metal pins to the wooden supports, and then intending to fix the sprockets. She was utilizing some magic tools, with her wand readily available on the table. She felt uncomfortably observed, but when she looked around she saw no one.
There was something to be said about being a magical architect, that manipulating magical natures in such a specific way came at a price. Every magical architect was aware that eventually something will go wrong. And it was hardly any surprise when a magic hospital or medi-wizard needed to heal a magical architect.
What Hermione did not foresee, but at some level she expected would happen, was that the magic she imbued in one of the pins would react against the natural magic of the oak.
Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye. Hermione tightened the pin and a loud crackle sounded. The wood rejected the pin, and Hermione had very little time to react, just enough time for a Wandless Protego to automatically come from her lips. But it was not entirely effective, even though Hermione was skilled in wandless and soundless spells (just with a magic catalyst she would be able to generate a shield strong enough to hold the wood and metal splinters).
On one level, Hermione was happy to have managed to protect her face and her wand arm. But she knew the rest of the damage was extensive enough for her to be worried.
Her left arm had taken most of the impact. At that very moment Hermione was drifting in a sea of pain, and she was reasonably concerned when she opened her eyes and found herself in a litter of wood and blood. She didn't have much time to process, since most of all she knew that Harry and Gabby's wristwatches were clamoring a warning that Hermione was in danger.
"Galan," She said aloud in a reasonably calm tone, even though inside she was panicking about the amount of blood that was coming out of her arm. With a pop, the house elf appeared, bowing.
"Miss Hermione, how can Galan help..." The elf stopped talking as soon as he looked up from the ground, and saw that Hermine was a few meters away in a growing pool of blood.
"Take me to a healer. Quickly."
"Galan can cure you," He responded in alarm, approaching.
"No, there are fragments inside my arm, and you will need help. Now Galan, please." The elf grabbed Hermione's right arm and in a pop he apparated to a sterile, white, well-organized room. At the sound, the woman at a table taking notes abruptly looked up. The black-haired woman dropped everything she was doing, stood up, and rushed to Hermione.
"What happened?" Lucien Maes maintained absolute calm while Hermione floated to one of the exam beds, quickly casting spells to assess the damage.
"A little accident," Hermione said, and tried to smile without grimacing.
"It doesn't seem small to me, Hermione," Lucien replied with a frown, pulling a long piece of wood from Hermione's arm. When the brunette bit her lip to hold back a cry of pain, Lucien made a short gesture with her wand, and three potions floated in front of her patient. She took one and held it out to the young woman. The Gryffindor didn't even protest, she swallowed all the offered potions without caring about the bad taste, and fortunately the pain was promptly reduced.
"Thanks," Hermione whispered, and Lucien just nodded, continuing the removal of fragments and closing the wounds by applying Dittany. Galan was puttering around, helping with various medical items, worriedly glancing at the young brunette.
"You will need to rest today. Without magical activities, since your core will still work extensively to recover from the damage. Even though I cleaned and closed all the wounds, the blood recovery potion will take time. You should also take a pain potion at the end of the day for a peaceful night's sleep." Lucien's firm voice made Hermione nod obediently. She learned very early that she shouldn't argue against a medi-wizard. They were silent for a long moment and Lucien sighed. "I... Can I ask again if you would like to do something with me at some point?" She dared to ask.
"I'm taken," Hermione responded quickly, and she was a little sad to see Lucien's bleak expression.
"The Delacour girl?" Hermione nodded. Fleur had already said that they were going on a date, and to avoid exacerbating an awkward situation, she just agreed. "I understand. Well, at least I hope we can be friends?" Lucien offered, with a bit of a melancholy tone in her voice. Veela would never interfere in another's bonding process.
"Friends is something I can do," Hermione said with a smile, and got off the exam bed.
"No expending physical or magical effort please. Otherwise, I will have to keep you here." The professional tone had returned. "And I really don't want to see a friend of mine in such a situation." Hermione considered it odd how quickly Veela could accept that someone else was unavailable, and she would have to talk to Fleur about it just to quench her curiosity.
"Sure, doc, sure. I'll be at home probably sleeping or reading. And you know, it's not my first magical accident." Lucien just nodded her head in resignation, and smiled wanly at Hermione saying goodbye.
Galan apparated Hermione back to her room. The brunette thanked him, and the elf left quickly. When the witch turned back to her bed, she saw Gabby sitting with her leg bouncing in nervousness.
"I was looking for you everywhere!" She exclaimed, and jumped up, pulling Hermione into a tight hug. "Harry and I were freaking out! You weren't anywhere!"
"Galan took me to Lucien. I'm fine now, I promise I'm okay," Hermione spoke calmly, when she felt the blonde in her arms crying softly. "I should have warned you earlier. I'm sorry, it was all so fast that I barely had time to understand." Gabby calmed down and looked at Hermione anxiously.
"And what happened?" Hermione opened her mouth to answer but she ended up yawning for a long time.
"I'm sorry, I'm so tired."
"Come on, lie down here with me, we have some time until dinner. Tell me what happened?" Gabby pulled the brunette to the bed, making her lay down and nudging the brunette's head on her shoulder. Hermione would never resist being held. She told her friend in a low voice what had happened, and Gabby was extremely happy to see the brunette well. "I will let Harry know that everything is fine now." With a Patronus she sent a detailed message to him. Hermione heard only the beginning, dozing off quite quickly.
It seemed like dinner time arrived all too fast, and so Gabby patiently guided a sleepy Hermione to the table. Lira and Apolline were already there, and apparently word that Hermione had been injured flew quickly throughout the village.
"Hermione, are you okay? Galan told us about the accident!" Lira asked apprehensively, rising quickly from her chair and approaching Hermione.
"I am all right now," The brunette replied, trying to calm the distressed older woman. "It is not so unusual to encounter problems with unstable magic." She had tried to reassure the woman, but the next moment after she made the statement, she regretted it. Lira looked at her with wide eyes, and Hermione knew she had uttered the wrong thing.
"So you'd better keep someone with you, Miss Granger." Sybelle's voice cut into the moment. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when I felt our connection slowly coming apart? And then to learn that you were missing?" The tone was steely, and Hermione felt herself blush, especially when her eyes met Fleur's, and she looked down at the floor in shame.
"I apologize," She said, taking a step away from Lira. "I didn't consider notifying you all not only because I was safe with Lucien, but only now I realized that I should have just asked Galan to tell everyone that I was okay. I returned here and promptly ended up sleeping. Gabby was with me, and I didn't think about how you would be feeling. I'm sorry."
"What was the other reason?" Fleur asked tensely, and Hermione looked up at her. "You said you didn't consider notifying us only because you were with Lucien. What was the other reason?" It was a pointed question in a hard tone.
"I was afraid I just might bleed to death on the floor. My first reaction was fight or flight, and I didn't think about warning anyone." Hermione explained quietly, but the sepulchral silence ensured everyone had heard completely. The brunette cleared her throat, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Fleur frowned and froze in the same moment, worry seeping into her in waves. Gabby was the first to break the tension, and she approached Hermione and pulled her into a tight hug when she noticed the signs of a panic attack.
"You're safe now. Just breathe deeply, in and out. You're fine now." It was nothing new to Gabby, since Hermione tended to have panic attacks when dwelling on her decisions in past risky situations, especially when it was something that involved life or death. It was one of the great scars left by the war, though Hermione was a fighter and she would do anything to survive. But when she noticed that she hurt other people during this process, she felt guilty and panicked. "We were just worried, ma bella. You didn't do anything wrong." When Fleur heard a sob and saw that Hermione's hands had tightly gripped Gabby's clothes, it was like something cracked within the Veela. She strode over and hugged Hermione from behind, her hands spreading to her sister's back. Both whispered words of safety and comfort to the young Gryffindor.
"I'm sorry," She whispered in a sob, wiping away her tears.
"It's okay, Hermione." Apolline came over and squeezed the brunette's shoulder. "We were just worried, I apologize that our reactions sounded so confrontational," She said softly, and Hermione nodded, still looking at the floor.
"Come on, let's eat something, nothing like good hot food to make everything better," Lira suggested, breaking the tension. They sat down and started to eat. Lira explained quickly what Lapin à la moutarde consisted of, and Hermione laughed and teased Gabby about her patronus being a hare.
"So what happened today?" Sybelle finally asked cautiously.
"Nothing too unusual, actually," Hermione responded with a sigh. "When working with magic materials, sometimes the spells resonate at opposite frequencies which causes a rejection. This rejection can manifest in many ways. Today, for example, the magic wood overloaded and shattered. What happened is that my protection spell was not enough to shield me from the shrapnel, and many pieces penetrated my arm. One hit a smaller caliber artery, which made the bleeding intensify. I called Galan and he took me to Lucien." Hermione tried to stifle the panic she felt at that moment. "Gabby and Harry knew something was going on because of the wristwatches I made for them. That's why Gabby knew it before everyone else." She spoke directly to Fleur, who was listening tensely. The veela slowly relaxed, finally realizing that Hermione hadn't intended to keep her in the dark on purpose. "When I came back here I was completely exhausted, and I figured Gabby would've gone ahead and alerted everyone." She looked at her worried friend and the younger woman blushed heavily.
"Well, that was something I should have done and didn't. I'm sorry." Gabby said awkwardly.
"Oh well, it's no use now getting fixated on what happened or didn't happen," Lira broke in calmly. "However, I did hear something interesting." All the women turned to look at Lira with curiosity. "Apparently Hermione and Gabby made their relationship official." A strange silence fell in the room, where the only person excited about what was just revealed was Lira.
Gabby automatically burst out laughing, causing her mother to frown in confusion, while Fleur glanced back at Hermione with a raised eyebrow and a scowl. Hermione's jaw had dropped, and she was looking around at everyone at the table, also perplexed. Apolline peered back at her wife, as puzzled as Hermione, and yet Sybelle alone seemed strangely unperturbed.
"My darling, Gabby is in love with Luna," Apolline tried once again to explain, and Gabby quickly nodded within giggles.
"But I... Lucien said that Hermione was with one of our daught-" She froze, and looked at Fleur.
"Surprise?" Hermione said with uncertainty, and cringed at the glare she received from Lira.
"You assumed with the wrong daughter," Fleur declared, and Apolline and Lira cast shocked glances from Fleur to Hermione.
"And I have learned of this development last!" Lira cried indignantly.
"I already knew," Gabby divulged calmly. At receiving various startled looks, she said, "What? Nobody would be smiling that big because they got magic wood, no matter how magical it is. And you had your lipstick all smeared," she added, gesturing to Fleur. Both her sister and friend were beet red. "Sweet! Now I can embarrass both of you!" She announced gleefully.
"Gabby!" Apolline immediately scolded, and her younger daughter winced.
"Gabby was the first to know, so that makes you the second, Lira," Hermione said, trying to extend an olive branch.
"Third; I already knew," Sybelle quickly corrected with a shrug.
"What?!" Hermione and Fleur exclaimed together.
"We are temporarily connected, and I saw you two hugging in your room with the door left ajar, Hermione." The brunette blushed deeply.
"I am the last to know!" Lira shouted in exasperation, and Apolline tried to pacify her wife.
"Oh, calm down, woman." Sybelle spoke in amusement and Lira, who was still put out at being left out of the loop, was taken outside by Apolline. "I really approve of the new choice, Fleur. Hermione has impeccable taste as we can see." They both nodded, blushing, and Sybelle leaned in far enough that only the two young women could hear her. "By the way, now is a good moment to mention the fact that you are also soulmates." As if hearing her own name, Lira reentered the room still mumbling, closely followed by Apolline.
"We have something else to tell you," Hermione said, smiling.
"Yes?" Lira asked curtly, not feeling amused.
"Hermione and I are soulmates." Silence descended, only to be broken seconds later by a high-pitched and happy cry from Lira.