Hermione cringed as she sat on Fleur's bed as the blonde unleashed a flurry of words upon her. The Veela was absolutely furious, pacing around her room in the Beauxbatons Carriage. She was angrily muttering a mix of her three languages, gesticulating wildly with her arms to emphasize just how mad she was at the situation. At least five minutes had passed and she hadn't been able to make out a single word that the irate woman was saying, but the point was clearly made.
"How could you do that to me? You had disguised yourself as Harry the entire time? Why didn't you tell me?" Fleur finally reverted to just using English.
"Because I thought you would try to stop me. The same way Harry would have tried to stop us if he knew what was going on."
"Of course I would have! You mean too much to me 'Ermione!"
"I'm so sorry, Fleur. I never meant for it to go like this, but as soon as we got there and the Death Eaters were waiting for us I knew our plan wasn't going to work! And then Bellatrix showed up and the things she was talking about… I just…"
Hermione shuddered as everything caught up with her and she felt herself start to spiral. In the graveyard she had too much to worry about than let herself really react to seeing Bellatrix in the flesh. But now that they were safe, the floodgate of emotions opened.
Her heart raced and she felt like she was drowning in quicksand inside and out. The world seemed to squeeze itself in on her, constricting and suffocating her as her anxiety attack flared. She reached for her left arm and squeezed it hard. It had been several months since her last PTSD flare up but that didn't make them any easier to bear. She knew there were plenty more to come. Bellatrix was back.
'She's not here. You're safe. Fleur's safe.' She chanted like a mantra in her mind, clutching her arm tight, her nails digging in. The wound was still tender from where Wormtail had cut her and the pain brought her back. She decided to heal herself the Muggle way and magicked sutures to close the wound. She wanted to bear the scar, though she would glamour it away so no one saw. She wanted it as a physical reminder of the sacrifices made and what was at stake.
"I saw my chance to get you to safety and I took it." The Golden Girl finally managed once she felt herself regain control.
Fleur softened when she realized what was happening and moved to comfort her mate. She sat next to Hermione and gently tried to pry her hand off of her arm to get her to stop hurting herself. Even though she was concerned, she was still pissed off, but her voice was much gentler than before when she spoke again.
"I know… That doesn't make it any better. Even if told with good intentions, it was still a lie. If it hadn't gone to shit would you have ever told me that it was you?" Fleur continued to rub small circles on the back of Hermione's hand.
"I would have, I swear! I just… needed you not to know at the time. All you needed to know was that you and Harry were going to the graveyard together and that's what happened. It just wasn't the actual Harry that went. I only wanted to keep you and Harry safe and I couldn't do that sitting in the stands!"
"But what about your safety? Damn it, 'Ermione! What if you had been hurt?" Fleur jumped to her feet and waved her arms again, her frustration surging again at the thought of Hermione in danger. Her Veela has been surprisingly quiet this time, letting Fleur handle the situation. "I understand you wanted to help, but you lied and manipulated me! And then you sent me away and left yourself there!"
"If I hadn't sent you away, there was a very high chance that neither of us walked away. I knew that they wouldn't kill me, at least not until the ritual was complete. And I knew that Voldemort would want to do it himself. The timeline is safe. Voldemort is back and he thinks Harry escaped. Just like last time."
Fleur huffed angrily and sat down at her desk, facing away from Hermione, leaning forward on her elbows, her head resting in her hands. "How could you put yourself in such danger! How do you think I would feel if you got hurt or worse?! Don't you understand what you mean to me? The thought of losing you…"
"Oh, so only you are allowed to take the risks in this? That's not fair either, Fleur! Did you honestly think that I would allow my mate and my best friend to put themselves in danger without trying to do something?" Hermione shot back, her own anger starting to rise. She had at first felt extremely guilty about lying to Fleur but now she was having a hard time keeping her own temper at bay. She did not like the idea of being treated as incapable, a damsel in distress to be saved. She had endured so much during the War, she wasn't made of glass anymore. She would not easily break.
Fleur opened her mouth to speak but Hermione kept going.
"You speak as though the cost is one sided. I can't lose you either, Fleur! I did what I had to do to ensure you both were safe! What if I hadn't done what I had done and you were taken? How do you think I would feel knowing you were out there somewhere suffering at the hands of that madwoman? I know what she would have done! I endured hours of torture and it almost broke me. The thought of you being with her for God knows how long… Even if I didn't know it was her that took you, the uncertainty of not knowing where you were or what happened to you? It would be devastating!"
"You should have at least told me." The blonde sat up and turned in her chair to face her again. Her eyes looked a little calmer but they were still very emotional.
"If I had told you, you would have tried to stop me. You already said you would just a moment ago and it's been heavily implied since we first started planning for the Third Task. You kept saying it was your choice to go to the graveyard. That you would be the one to help Harry. You didn't even consider me as an option and left me out of the plan! I'm not defenseless and I'm not incapable, but you sidelined me from the beginning."
Fleur opened her mouth to retort, then closed it and looked away, at least she had the decency to look ashamed.
"I'll admit it was more than a little shitty of me to go behind your back. I know you'll do anything to protect me. And I'll do the same for you. On that I think we can both agree."
"That is true." Fleur nodded, her breathing starting to even out as her anger slowly dissipated as they started to reach a common ground. "And I can see how that would make you feel thinking that I would try to stop you. It's not that I don't value you or underestimate your ability. I just… I can't imagine life without you now. And I'm sorry that I overreacted. I was just so mad and hurt by it, I didn't behave well."
"I know… and you have every right to be upset. But I also ask that in the future you trust me and let me help you. And if you can do that, then I promise to be fully forthcoming. But this can't go on one-sided. We need to learn how to work together toward the common goal, not distracting ourselves trying to keep each other safe or worrying what the other is up to. We can't allow ourselves to be dictated by fear or doubt. This was just the beginning. It's going to get worse and if we can't figure it out, we're not going to be successful."
Fleur sighed and stood up from the desk, moving across the room to join Hermione on the bed. "You are too wise, ma belle." She tentatively put a hand out for her mate to take if she wanted it. They were both still coming down from very tense emotions and she wasn't sure if Hermione would want physical contact again.
Hermione smiled and slipped her hand into Fleur's, interlocking their fingers and giving it a light squeeze. "I think we need to do better at trusting one another. I think we need to do better in trusting us."
"Agreed. Full transparency from here on out? No more secrets, no more half-truths? And if something comes up we talk through it?"
Hermione nodded "We're in this together."
"Together." Fleur agreed and leaned in to kiss her properly, any residual tension they were feeling melting away. She leaned down on the bed, pulling Hermione down on top of her as they embraced.
Their kisses soon gave way to tired cuddling, neither willing to let go but they were too exhausted from the day's events to do much other than just lay there together. She wrapped her arms around the brunette witch, loving the way it felt to have her weight on her, their chests pressed together, feeling their hearts beating.
"Fleur?" Hermione pulled away after a few minutes and propped herself up on her elbows to gaze down at the blonde beneath her. Her chocolatey eyes had lost their hardness from earlier and they were back to their usual warm state, full of love and curiosity.
"Oui, ma belle?" Fleur tilted her head back to get a better look at her mate, showing she was listening and giving her full attention.
"What happened when you got back? How did you get by Moody?"
"Well, first I panicked because I had no damn clue what the hell had just happened. And then I saw Harry sitting in the medical tent. How did you manage that by the way?"
"Oh, I got a house elf to help. Dobby is particularly fond of Harry after he set him free from the Malfoys in our second year."
"Ah, yes, Dobby… Gabrielle is very fond of him as well. She speaks often of his unusual fashion sense and odd jokes. I think he sneaks her cookies."
"That sounds like him… Well, I knew that Dobby would help me with whatever I needed if it meant keeping Harry safe. So I intercepted Harry as he was heading down to the Task and knocked him out with a short-term sleeping draught I slipped into some juice. Dobby kept watch on him from a safe spot and when he started to come back around, he Disapparated him into the maze and made it look like the Devil's Snare got him. That way Harry had a little memory of what happened inside, but also an excuse for him not to remember much else."
"You clever witch." Fleur giggled and tilted her chin up to kiss Hermione quickly before settling back on her bed.
"It's been known to happen." Hermione chuckled and kissed her back "Okay, your turn. Moody."
"So after I spoke with Harry in the tent, Moody strongly persuaded me with a wand to my back to come with him and took me to his office. But I was expecting something like this, of course. And I saw that the Skeeter woman was in her beetle form and hanging about on the wall, so I made sure to have Crouch talk all about the plans for the graveyard and Voldemort's return. It really wasn't difficult to get him to start monologuing and oversharing information. People are much more willing to tell you their plans when they think they have the upper hand. Pride and arrogance."
Hermione chuckled thinking that was exactly what had happened with Voldemort. Instead of just killing her, he wanted to make a display of his power and actually gave her the chance she needed to escape. She was glad that she had discussed Apparition as a backup escape route in place with Dumbledore.
"Anyway, once he had said enough, I simply hexed the living shit out of him and released the real Moody. Dumbledore, Snape and some other professors came running to help but I had the situation perfectly under control." Fleur beamed up smugly.
"Clever witch." Hermione smiled and laid back down on the soft mattress, curling with her back to Fleur, who eagerly rolled over and conformed her body to fit around her, draping a long slender arm protectively about her waist.
Fleur burrowed her nose into the back of Hermione's neck, her scent soothing her. She didn't mind that the unruly curls were tickling her face. This was the comfort she needed after thinking she had just lost her mate. Hermione was safe in her arms.
"So… Your Patronus changed? The Gryffindor Lion?" Hermione's voice broke the silence.
"Oui, it used to be a Harpy Eagle. But it seems that you have had quite the effect on me."
Hermione smiled softly "I wonder." She reached for her wand and cast her corporeal Patronus. A silvery lioness bounded forth, pacing around the room.
A moment later it was joined by Fleur's and the two ethereal lions butted heads in greeting, rubbing their faces together.
"Well, it's a little more impressive than my old otter, though he was very cute." The brunette chuckled softly as she watched the big cats dissipate into thin air. She lay quietly for a few minutes, mulling over the day. There was so much left to do. And there were already some worrying changes to this timeline, particularly Bellatrix's early escape from Azkaban. How were they going to get the Horcruxes with her on the loose? Especially if the dark witch was searching for her and Fleur specifically?
"I can feel your brain moving." Fleur's sleepy voice whispered from behind her.
"Sorry, I can't help it. I was just wondering what happens next. Now that he's back… it gets really tricky."
"Mmm… true. But we know he's not going to be active right away. We have a little time. Speaking of which, I was thinking. After this, I must go back to France, at least for part of the summer. Would you like to come with me?"
"You mean that?" Hermione sat up and twisted around to look at her girlfriend.
"Of course, I would love for you to meet the rest of my family. And my home is possibly the safest place for us to be with everything going on and while we figure out our plan. Our protective wards rival those of Hogwarts. We'll have access to move everything you think we will need and I'm sure we can pull a few strings to get the rest."
"I'd love that! I'll have to stop by to see my parents for a bit. I'd like for you to meet them, too, if you're comfortable coming to Muggle London."
"As long as I am with you, it will be perfect. I would like to meet your parents as well."
«Fleur! Are you in there!?» Evangeline shouted as she pounded on the door. «Maxime is looking for you! Everyone is celebrating but we're missing the guest of honor!»
«Oui, I'll be out soon.» Fleur called back, clearly annoyed at being disturbed.
"What did Evangeline say?" Hermione sat up slowly, reluctant to leave Fleur's embrace.
"They're looking for me." Fleur sighed "I forgot that I'm the Triwizard Champion. Speaking of which, I've waited 8 months to say this, but I told you so."
"Told me what?"
"That I would win because I'm the best." She smirked and planted a soft kiss to Hermione's forehead and rolled off the bed.
"Oh you cocky git!" Hermione rolled her eyes and got up as well.
A couple Pepper-up Potions and cleaning and scourging spells later and they emerged into a sea of rambunctious celebrations.
"Blimey, Hermione! I can't believe Dumbledore's letting you take both your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s this summer. I don't know what I'm gonna do without you next year." Harry was trying to smile but Hermione could tell that he was feeling rather glum about the prospect of not having his friend around.
The pair were sitting together in a train compartment on the Hogwarts Express heading back to London. The week after the Tournament ended had been a whirlwind of Hogwarts final exams and they hadn't really had a chance to catch up with one another.
Fleur and the rest of the foreign students had departed the day after the tournament for their respective schools to complete their own school graduation requirements. She and the Veela communicated each night with their marbles, but it wasn't the same. She hadn't realized how much she had gotten used to having the blonde around. Being able to touch her hand or stroke her face or kiss her senseless. She wondered if her emptiness stemmed from their growing bond or just the fact that she missed her girlfriend. Probably both.
"I know, It's going to be weird not being here. But I took the seventh year classes this year and it doesn't make sense for me to come back just to retake them. I'm confident that I will pass." Hermione scratched absentmindedly behind Crookshanks' ears as she stared out the window, watching the landscape rush by.
"Oh, I'm sure you will. You are the brightest witch of your age, after all. I think that you could save the world if you put your mind to it. So what are you gonna do then? You're too young to get a job."
Hermione snorted at the irony of his innocent comment and turned back to face him. "Dumbledore says he can help me get an internship so I get some on-the-job training. It will keep me busy for sure."
"Wicked! You'll write to me, won't you? I want to know about your adventures! But be safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"That's not saying much Harry. What is there that you wouldn't do?
"Kiss Malfoy," Harry deadpanned.
"Fair." Hermione agreed with a chuckle and reassuring smile "You won't need to worry about me, I'm sure it will probably just be paper pushing or something basic but I'll let you know. I mean, they wouldn't give a 16 year old any real responsibilities, right?"
"Good, you can't expect me to worry about school if I'm too busy worrying about you, too." Harry sat back in his seat, deep in thought for a moment. "So, what do you reckon? Do you think Voldemort is back?" he asked innocently.
"Yeah, I do. Based on what Dumbledore said, I think that there are dark times ahead and we need to be prepared for anything. When times are uncertain, it's best to have good people around you. Your friends and loved ones give you strength. Give you something to fight for, you know? I'm sorry I won't be there for you next year, but I'll be there in spirit, I'll always look out for you. You're my brother, always have been, always will be." She smiled softly.
"And you're my sister." Harry gave her a quick squeeze.
Hermione smiled and hugged him quickly. "This is one thing Voldemort doesn't have. He doesn't know love or what it is like to care for anyone other than himself. The only thing he values is his power and the fear associated with it. He thinks feelings are weak. But it's our relationships that help build us up, protect us, and help us become the people we are. He's just miserable and empty. Loveless."
"Wow… that's like really deep, Hermione. Speaking of love" Harry laughed softly and shoved her with his elbow.
"Oh, shove off you" Hermione grinned and shoved him back. "What about it?"
"You and Fleur are still going strong?"
"Yes, we are, thank you. I'm going to miss her while I'm at my internship, but she's got responsibilities back to France." Hermione lied, but it was best if people thought that Fleur was abroad. It was safer that way. "What about you and Evangeline?"
Harry shook his head softly "Nah, just better off as friends. She's nice and all, just not meant to be more, you know?"
"I get that… Some people are just meant to be friends. Speaking of which, I'm really glad you're my friend, Harry Potter." Hermione grinned and shoved him back.
"Back at you, Hermione Granger."
"Yeah, just took a giant troll trying to kill us, but we got there. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything." Hermione laughed at the memory.
"Hey guys…"
There was a knock on the door to the compartment. Neville stuck his head in, Luna was standing next to him clutching a copy of the Quibbler. "Do you mind if we join you? Everywhere else is full."
"Not at all! Come on in!" Harry smiled brightly and gestured to the empty seats.
"Hmm… your head is surprisingly clear of wrackspurts today, Harry." Luna hummed dreamily. Her radish earrings bounced as she tilted her head from side to side trying to see the invisible creatures.
"Ermmm… thanks, Luna." Harry nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"So, what is everyone doing for the summer holiday?" Neville opened up the conversation.
The four fell into light conversation for the rest of the trip, laughing and joking, and sharing sweets once the snack trolley came by.
It made Hermione's heart feel full seeing Harry with people that she knew would become some of his closest and most loyal friends. She didn't mind that he and Ron had tried to mend their friendship, it was his prerogative. But she knew it was different for them now. Especially since she had made no real effort to reconnect with either Ron or Ginny since the Yule Ball fallout. She knew that both Weasleys would grow up in time and believed that they would both have Harry's back, but she couldn't ignore or forgive the way Ron had treated her for her relationship with Fleur. But Neville and Luna were good people and she was happy they were in Harry's life. It would definitely make things easier on him in the years to come.
She smiled and stared out the window again, deep in thought. Whatever happened to her and Fleur, at least he would be fine as long as he had those two in his corner.
The train pulled into Platform 9 ¾ a couple hours later and soon the platform was swimming with people. Everyone jostled about, trying to grab their trunks and belongings from the cargo holds while finding their families or saying goodbye to friends.
Hermione was late to exit the train, having to wrestle Crookshanks into his carrier was never an easy task. By the time she got off onto the platform, the crowd had died down significantly. Once she got her trunk she looked around, sweeping her gaze slowly across the platform.
"Looking for someone, ma belle?"
"Fleur! You made it!" Hermione gasped and spun around as she saw her blonde girlfriend leaning casually against a brick wall. It had only been a week since she had seen her but it felt like months and she looked flawlessly beautiful in every way. She set down Crookshanks' carrier on her trunk and moved toward her girlfriend.
The French witch was sporting simple jeans and a black v-neck shirt, looking rather Muggle and inconspicuous. She had a small handbag but otherwise was accessory-less. Her hair was styled in a messy French braid that looked perfect and effortless. She had a smile that reached her eyes and could light up the world.
"But of course, I could not miss it. I could not possibly go a moment more without you. I missed you, ma belle." Fleur strode over and wrapped herself around the smaller witch, running her fingers through the thick unruly curls as she kissed her good and proper, not caring who saw. It started slow but she quickly moved to deepen the kiss, their lips gliding together slowly but with purpose. Her Veela purring happily at the reunion.
Hermione eagerly held the Veela by the waist, holding her close as they tried to remove any space between them. She had missed those perfectly kissable lips, so soft and full. But eventually oxygen became necessary and the pair reluctantly pulled away. "Wow, if that's how you greet me after a week, maybe we should…"
"Non, no more being apart." Fleur quickly interjected "Allow me to help you with your bag, mademoiselle. Since you are underage and therefore clearly incapable of performing magic for yourself." She teased and waved her wand at Hermione's trunk and shrunk it down to the size of a lunchbox. She reached down and held it in the same hand with her handbag.
"Oh you just love to point that out, don't you?"
"Perhaps. You are sure your parents are fine with me coming? You do not want some time just as a family?"
"Well, honestly we're not that close anymore. It's been pretty hard for them with me going off to magic boarding school. They've tried to be accepting but they just don't understand and there's been a bit of a divide. And I really need you there, just for emotional support. I haven't seen them in years and the last time I did, I obliviated myself from their memories. This is going to be really hard for me."
Fleur nodded sadly and kissed Hermione's temple. "Then there is nowhere I'd rather be." She led the way to the brick wall separating the magical and muggle worlds clutching Hermione around the waist. Whatever happened next, she knew that they would be okay.