Fleur was absolutely humming with energy as she splashed water in her face to try to cool off when it was her turn in the washroom adjoining her bedroom. She had felt comfortable with herself for the first time since she had grown her new appendage as a teen. And it actually felt… okay for once, not something foreign that didn't belong there. Except for the fact that it was incredibly restricted by her pants, that had hurt a bit and she would have to remember to get her clothes altered.
She couldn't stop smiling at herself in the mirror. Everything was starting to make sense and come full circle. And it was entirely thanks to Hermione. The level of love and trust they were developing was helping her soothe her own discomfort and overcome her insecurities about herself. She sighed and wondered how she had gotten so lucky. The brunette witch was everything to her.
She quickly illusioned it away, not wanting to have to explain to her family why she was flying at half mast, although Gabrielle probably already said something. Her sister was such a little shit sometimes. She brushed out her long silvery-blonde locks and adjusted her robes before emerging from the bathroom. She smiled to herself when she saw Hermione sitting at her vanity, desperately trying to tame down her bushy curls. The brunette had changed out of her Muggle clothes and into a set of robes at some point.
"I am sorry about your 'air, ma belle. I got a little excited. Are you… are you feeling okay? Wizz everyzing? Zat was a little unexpected, I worry eet was too much?" She came to stand behind the seated woman, tenderly rubbing her slender fingers along the sides of her neck. She could smell her scent on the Gryffindor's skin and it made her Veela preen and strut about in the back of her mind.
Hermione looked up at her through the reflection, her soft brown eyes no longer wild with excitement and lust "Oh, yeah… I'm fine. That got a little intense. Which was not a bad thing, I mean, I quite liked it… it was just… wow. I've never felt like that before." The usually well spoken woman was stammering, her face flushing a little with embarrassment. "I mean, I haven't um, done anything more than kiss someone before. It was all very new to me."
"Oui. Eet was. I've never done zat before eizzer."
"Really?
"You seem surprised. But non, I was worried about rejection for my… anatomy. Like I said, I've never really felt comfortable and I didn't know 'ow I fit een… but wizz you, I can just be me."
Hermione nodded sadly, remembering how it felt when Ron had come after her not once, but twice about her homosexuality. For something that she had no control over. Something that was just her. She couldn't imagine what it might have been like for Fleur growing up. "Well, I think it is wonderful and I wouldn't change it for anything."
Fleur perked up, "Really?"
The brunette turned around in her seat and pressed her hand over the blonde's chest above her heart. "You are who I want, Fleur Delacour. "I don't care if you have a cock, a vagina, or nothing at all, as long as I have you. You are wonderful in every way and I will keep telling you this until you can get it through your stubborn Veela skull!"
"You never cease to amaze me, ma belle," she leaned down to kiss her quickly before pulling away. "We should 'urry, zough. If we are late, Maman will assign us chores to do."
"Chores?"
"Oui, like mucking out ze stables. Wizzout ze magie! Eet ees not fun!" Fleur rolled her eyes at the memories.
"Well, we can't have that!" Hermione laughed and stood up from the stool she was seated upon. "Do I look okay?"
"You look lovely, mon amour." Fleur grinned and took her hand.
"So, how much trouble are we going to be in?" Hermione asked as they wandered down the long corridor toward the stairs to the main floor.
"Trouble? None. But my Papa will probably give us some shit about eet. 'E ees kidding of course, 'e likes to mess around. 'E ees always teasing. I zink you can see where Gabrielle gets eet from, non? You can tell eet ees not good if 'e ees being serious."
"Yes, I had noticed quite the similarity. You are going to have your hands full when she gets older."
"Don't remind me. She ees a menace now. When she 'its puberty and 'er Veela presents 'erself? Goddess 'elp us all. She will be worse zan a demon incarnate." Fleur laughed, her voice light like tinkling bells.
Fleur led the way down the stairs to the dining room. Her parents and Gabrielle were already sitting at a long darkwood table, easily large enough to comfortably sit 20, 9 on each side and the two ends. She led the brunette to their seats, their place settings already set and the wine poured.
Gabrielle was eyeing them closely and fixing them both with the biggest shit eating grin. Before the child could speak, Apolline played defense and cut her off at the pass.
"So, 'Ermione. I trust you are settling een? Fleur 'as been a gracious 'ostess?" The eldest Veela smiled gently.
"I zink she 'as been very zorough." Gabrielle snickered, then winced slightly under her mother's glare.
Hermione blushed and tried to recover the situation. She sat down as Fleur held her chair out for her before answering. "Yes, thank you. Your home is magnificent. I've never seen anything like it before."
"Bon, I 'ope zat you will take some time to enjoy ze estate and ze surrounding area. Marseille ees wonderful zis time of year, particularly for going to ze beach for an ocean swim. Or Fleur can take you on ze yacht."
"Oh, that sounds lovely, but I wouldn't want to impose."
"Eet ees no trouble. I would very much like to show you my 'omeland. And ze waters 'ere are beautiful. Eet 'as been too long since I went sailing. 'Ave you been before? I zink you would enjoy it." Fleur smiled as she took a seat next to Hermione, who shook her head to answer her question.
Once seated, she instantly reached for her wine, taking a healthy swig. Goddess did she miss their wine. They ran a small winery and produced their own special reserves for themselves and the Clan as gifts. Marcel had a knack for herbology and was constantly trying to breed new grape varieties and experiment with flavors. This batch was particularly good, rich and flavorful with a slightly fruity aftertaste.
"'Ow long do you plan on staying wizz us?" Apolline sipped her wine.
"We 'ave a week before 'Ermione and I must go back to London." Fleur was brimming with happiness seeing her mate interact so easily with her family and she could tell that her parents approved as well. She hadn't been concerned, she knew that they just wanted her to be happy and Hermione made her happy, but it was encouraging to see them all getting along together.
"Bon, you are just een time." Marcel clapped his hands merrily as the first course was served.
"Bouillabaisse?" Hermione chuckled with a raised eyebrow as she inspected her bowl.
Fleur laughed "Too on ze nose? Eet ees a specialty of Marseille, we 'ave so much fresh seafood 'ere!"
Marcel looked between the two young women "What ees on ze nose?"
"Oh, it was just the first thing that Fleur said to me. She came all the way across the Great Hall to ask me for the bouillabaisse."
"Eet was Gabrielle's fault. She ate all of eet at our table." Fleur recalled, the tiny Veela stuck out her tongue in response.
"Really, little flower, zat was your pick up line? Asking for ze soup? Are you sure you are my child? Zis one ees even more fantastic for giving you a chance after zat!" Marcel's belly laugh rang out, his cheeks warm and rosy.
"And zen 'Ermione stood up and shouted zat she was not jealous of Fleur! For ze entire 'all to 'ear!" Gabrielle piped in with all the tact of a 9 year old. "Eet was wonderful, you should 'ave seen Fleur's face! What did ze aubergine boy say to you to 'ave zat reaction, Brainy?"
"Gabrielle!" Apolline scolded her youngest as Fleur glared daggers at her sister. "Do not torment your sister wizz guests een ze 'ouse. And show respect for Mademoiselle 'Ermione."
"Sorry, 'Ermione," Gabrielle pouted and turned her attention back to her soup.
"It's fine, Gabrielle. Believe me, I've been called worse. I am actually fond of your nickname, but just from you." Hermione smiled at the youngest Veela before turning back to Marcel. "And no… I didn't give her a chance right away. We went back and forth for a time, but we got there eventually. Turns out we're both rather stubborn."
Marcel grinned "So you 'ave a fire een you, oui? Zat ees good. Our little flower can be quite 'ot 'eaded 'erself… eet ees good zat she find someone who can challenge 'er. Zese Delacour women are… somezzing else, non?" He winked smugly, causing Hermione to want to bury herself in her bowl and drown.
"Papa!" Fleur grimaced at her father's teasing. She was watching Hermione eat her soup, "So, 'ow do you like ze real zing?"
"It really is delicious!" Hermione nodded enthusiastically, taking another bite. "The stuff at Hogwarts was good, but it can't hold a candle to this."
"Eet 'elps being een ze region most famous for ze dish. No offense to ze British, but no one can cook bouillabaisse like ze French. Especially in Marseille." Apolline sipped her wine between bites.
They fell into light conversation, Marcel and Apolline asking Hermione various questions about herself, her childhood growing up in a non magical household, her time at Hogwarts, her parents' dentistry practice and more.
Fleur gave a dramatic retelling of her first experience with having her teeth cleaned the Muggle way, which the others got a big laugh at.
As expected, the topic of the future and Hermione's plans for after school came up.
"Well, actually it's rather interesting. I was moved up to seventh year classes, so this summer I plan on taking all of the exams required for Hogwarts graduation. I hope to get an internship soon for some real life experience." The Gryffindor smiled as she explained the unique situation regarding her education.
"Mmm, I am starting to see zat Fleur did not exaggerate about you after all." Marcel smiled warmly, "beauty and brains, oui?"
"There's a reason I call her Brainy!" Gabrielle piped in, her mouth full of ratatouille.
"Gabrielle! Do not speak wizz your mouzz full of food!" Apolline admonished yet again. It was nearly a full time job.
Hermione flushed and Fleur sat back comfortably in her seat, having finished her meal, and was casually sipping on her second glass of the rich red wine.
Hermione was about to speak when the fireplace roared to life behind her and out stepped an elderly woman, though she was still stunningly beautiful in a mature and sophisticated sense.
Adeline Delacour has arrived.
"I apologize for being late, I got 'eld up at ze Ministry… you know 'ow Minister Beaumont can just talk and talk and talk about absolutely nozzing." Her thick French accent filled into the room.
Fleur was a little slow to react with her head feeling warm with wine but she recognized the somewhat scratchy feminine voice instantly "Grandmere!" She jumped up and ran to embrace her grandmother. "What are you doing 'ere?"
"Ees zat any way to greet your dearest grandmere?" Adeline smiled and embraced her eldest granddaughter, the corners of her eyes wrinkling slightly from her smile. "Ah, but my dear flower, you are being rude. Are you going to introduce me to zis lovely guest?"
Hermione stood and turned to face the new arrival. "Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you."
"Adeline Delacour. My dear, ze pleasure ees mine I assure you." The full Veela greeted the brunette with the customary double kiss then stood back to look at the young couple. The wise Veela's eyes shifted between Fleur and Hermione, giving them both a knowing nod. She then moved to greet the rest of her family before taking her place, a full setting appearing out of thin air before her. "Mmm… bouillabaisse and ratatouille? I chose a good night to visit, non?"
"We were not expecting you, Maman. What brings you 'ere tonight?"
"Need I remind you of who I am? I can come and go as I please without permission, my daughter." The family matriarch gave her a stern but loving look. Adeline Delacour was a blend of Apolline and Marcel's personalities. She had the warm grandmotherly demeanor but also a no-nonsense attitude that Hermione could appreciate. Like the rest of the women in her bloodline, her hair was silvery blonde but had taken on a whiter hue with her age. It contrasted nicely with the red robes she was wearing.
"As far as ze purpose of my visit, ozzer zan to just visit, a little birdie told me zere would be a special guest 'ere zat I would want to meet."
"Ah, you spoke to Camille zen…" Apolline murmured as she sipped her wine, her ego still smarting a little from her mother's light scolding.
Hermione remembered that the current Clan leader had mentioned earlier that her two sisters might be stopping by to visit later. Camille must be one of Fleur's aunts, she thought to herself.
Fleur took Hermione's hand as they sat back down and held it, resting them on the table as she rubbed the back of her hand with her thumb. She caught the warm brown eyes watching her, quietly asking her to take the lead. "Since we are all 'ere, we wanted to take a moment to share somezzing wizz you all."
Four pairs of eyes were suddenly watching them intently and she felt the brunette's grip tighten. "You say it…" her mate whispered, almost inaudible.
Fleur nodded and dove right in, "Well, zere ees more reason for our visit zan just pleasantries and a relaxing stay. 'Ermione ees my girlfriend, but eet turns out zat she ees also my mate and she 'as accepted me een return. We 'ave begun ze bonding process."
In an uncharacteristic outburst of emotion, Apolline shrieked and ran over to embrace the young couple, One arm around each of their shoulders, squeezing them both in death grips. She was speaking in rapid French as she rocked excitedly from side to side. Fortunately she switched back to English, "Zis ees a glorious day! My baby 'as found 'er one! And what a nice young lady she ees! I could not be more zrilled! You truly are family now, 'Ermione! Zis calls for a celebration! Bring out ze best reserves!" In seconds, fresh glasses of wine appeared in front of everyone.
Despite his more outgoing and jovial personality, Marcel had a more subdued reaction. He was married to a part-Veela and he understood that finding one's mate was significant, but not quite the full extent. Especially since he was not Apolline's true mate. His eyes swam with bushes tears, a father's lament of having to admit that his little girl was growing up. Still he congratulated them both and welcomed Hermione to the family with a bone crushing hug.
Having just settled into her chair, Adeline smiled warmly but did not get up, offering her congratulations from across the table.
Gabrielle excitedly bounced in her seat at the prospect of having another sister to torment. Hermione could already see the gears turning in that mischievous little mind.
The family chatted excitedly for a while before Adeline jumped straight into a more serious topic, her bowl of soup now mostly finished.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, my dear. 'Ow ees eet possible for my Fleur's Veela to recognize you as 'er one? You don't seem of age yet, zough forgive me for assuming." The former Clan leader asked as she casually sopped up her soup broth with a piece of bread.
"Oh, I used a Time Turner in school to attend extra classes." Hermione responded as casually as if Adeline had asked her for the weather report.
Marcel's rolling belly laugh boomed "Zey gave you a Time Turner to attend extra classes? I never 'eard of such a zing!"
Hermione blushed "it does seem a little foolish now, but yes. It must have messed with my age from repeated long term use."
"Oui, for when I first laid eyes on ma belle, I just knew. My Veela was very adamant." Fleur added "I do not know 'ow but I am so grateful eet turned out zis way. I 'ave never been 'appier."
Adeline scoffed "Zat Dumbledore, still up to 'is old tricks I see… well, I 'ave never 'eard of such a zing but eet does make sense een a way. Regardless, I am very pleased for you bozz. It 'as been too long since we 'ad a true mated pair een ze Delacour line. You 'ave made me a very 'appy grandmere, my flower."
Fleur beamed, her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much.
"Speaking of grandmeres…" Apolline waved her hand and a vial of swirling pink liquid appeared in front of Hermione. "As much as I look forward to ze day, I zink per'aps now ees not ze time, non? You are bozz very young and eet ees important to experience life before settling down and starting a family. Just a sip each morning should suffice, zough maybe more eef you plan to 'ave sex more zan three times een a day."
Hermione turned tomato red in a heartbeat and offered an awkward thanks before putting the vial in her lap and out of sight. She looked like she was trying to think of a spell to cause her to melt into the floor.
Fleur offered her a weak smile "I'm sorry, ma belle, did I mention zat my family 'as no boundaries when eet comes to talking about sex?"
"You've mentioned it…" Hermione coughed out, clearly still embarrassed beyond measure.
The situation was saved by the arrival of the rest of Fleur's family. It was a whirlwind of energy and chaos as the fireplace roared to life again and again as more people traveled to the Delacour estate via the Floo network. Laughter and loud chatting soon filled the halls.
Camille Delacour, Adeline's second daughter, her wife Sophia, and their 15 year old twin girls, Cecile and Rochelle, were the first to arrive. Camille worked for the French Gazette, Wizarding France's equivalent of the Daily Prophet. She met Sophia years ago when they were both junior journalists for the newspaper. In time, Camille became an editor, but Sophia still did field work. They both played a critical role in keeping Clan affairs out of print.
Next to make an appearance was Marguerite Delacour, Adeline's youngest. She was joined by her Muggle-husband, Francis and their three children, Adrian, 14, Louis, 9, and Madeline, 6. Marguerite worked in the French Ministry and Francis worked in Muggle-France's military defense branch.
Hermione looked surprised not only to see one of Fleur's aunts had married a Muggle, but they had two sons. She thought that there were only females born to Veela and part-Veela but Fleur explained that it was possible to have male offspring but they did not carry Veela blood, which was only passed on to the women of the family.
Cecile, Rochelle, and Adrian all attended Beauxbatons but the three youngest still studied at home until they were ten. Unlike Hogwarts, Beauxbatons started at age 10, so Louis would be starting next year.
Once everyone arrived, greetings were exchanged and introductions made, the group retired to the sitting room where Fleur's cousins all wanted to hear about her experiences as the Triwizard Champion. The older cousins had not been allowed to travel to Hogwarts with the Beauxbatons delegation so they were very eager to hear about the castle. Hermione regaled the group with some of her experiences and adventures, most of which were met with disbelief.
After that, the youngest children were sent to bed and the older family members stayed up to talk longer. The older cousins and the other adults were very excited to get to know Fleur's new girlfriend and Hermione happily obliged, not bothered by having to repeat herself from dinner talk. The new couple hadn't revealed their mate status to the extended family and by virtue of Veela law, no one else could divulge it.
It was close to midnight before Fleur and Hermione managed to extract themselves from conversation and they quickly fell asleep in each other's arms.
Hermione was having the time of her life, surrounded by genuinely warm and welcoming people. She had been a little worried at first that they would be uppity or entitled because of their lineage and nearly royal status. But she was relieved to find that despite being members of the most powerful Veela clan in France, they all seemed surprisingly ordinary and down to earth. And no one looked down at her for being a Muggle-born or judged her for being with Fleur. They were a big, warm, and welcoming family and all that entailed.
They had their family spats, drama and competitions. Apparently there were still some unresolved childhood rivalries between the three sisters and they were constantly trying to one-up each other. They joked and laughed and embarrassed each other by telling awkward stories. They did some things as a group and other times they went off on their own, no expectations. But above all, it was clear that they loved each other unconditionally and the familial bond was very important in Veela culture. What's more, they knew that she was important to Fleur and had accepted her into their fold with open arms.
Time flew by quite quickly and the young couple made sure to make the most of it and around the estate or exploring the surrounding area.
Most days featured a visit to the beach to enjoy the summer weather with various family members. Hermione had started reading through Fleur's collection while lying on the sandy beach sunning herself. Her skin was taking on a nice tan and her freckles were becoming more pronounced. Fleur had suggested a special beach where there were no tan lines, but the British witch wasn't quite comfortable with the idea, especially with Fleur's family members around.
She was sure to write Harry a few letters, making it sound like she was spending time with Fleur before they had to part ways for her to go to her internship. She really wanted to sell the idea that Fleur was staying in France. Especially if this timeline was like the last and Voldemort learned about the mental connection he shared with the Boy Who Lived. If he looked for any information about Fleur on Bellatrix's behalf, she would be safer if they thought she was abroad.
While she had agreed to let the planning for the Horcrux hunt go for the week, she wasn't going to spend her entire time goofing off. She wanted some academic stimulation still, so decided she would start to learn French. Cecile, Rochelle, and Adrian (with Gabrielle leading the charge, of course) were all eager to teach her the inappropriate phrases and curses, passing them off as harmless comments. Fleur put a stop to it all when she found out and took it upon herself to be Hermione's proper language tutor.
She and Fleur went riding a few times, sometimes riding together on the same horse, sometimes on separate mounts. Gabrielle and the twins joined them once and they had an impromptu race across the grounds, which she lost miserably but still enjoyed. It was fun to watch the sisters be so free. She knew that when Fleur was out in society, she was expected to act a certain way. But here everyone could just be themselves and let loose.
Hermione enjoyed exploring the grounds, wandering through the uniform rows of the apple orchards or among the tangled grapevines. She stopped and talked to some of the groundskeepers who tended to the estate, many of whom were house elves living and working there of their own volition. There was an entire dormitory built behind the estate where they lived.
She was amazed when she found out that the Delacours, like many other families in France, employed rather than enslaved their house elves like British households. It reminded her of her S.P.E.W. days when she was crusading for house elf rights and liberation. Unlike the UK, the house elves in France were liberated nearly a century ago and they had the same rights as the other magical creatures. Unfortunately these rights were still somewhat lacking compared to wizards and witches, but it was still better than the British Ministry laws, which were almost nonexistent. At least in France, individuals of magical creature descent weren't treated like criminals, tracked and recorded for their lives.
One evening the cousins managed a few games of modified Quidditch, without Bludgers or the Snitch, just passing around the Quaffle while Adrian played Keeper. Fleur and Cecile faced off against Louis and Rochelle. Madeline and Hermione cheered from the sidelines. She still hated flying, that hadn't changed. She watched her mate in awe. She knew that Fleur was talented, but she never knew that the blonde was so graceful in the air. She looked just as at home on a broom as Harry. She had even played as a Chaser for one of the Beauxbatons teams, the same one Evangeline played on as Seeker.
Other evenings they would all sit around the salon or walk through the mazes out front in small groups. The cousins delighted in sharing embarrassing stories about the heiress. They were mostly exaggerated, according to Fleur, but her blushes told Hermione otherwise.
At night she and Fleur snuggled and had a few more heated snogging sessions, though the clothes stayed on and the potion remained corked on the nightstand. She was very proud of Fleur for not hiding herself as much anymore, though she had to get most of her clothes tailored for her comfort. The young heiress seemed to be more comfortable with herself and was making quite a bit of progress with accepting herself entirely. Hermione did her best to remain supportive and encouraging, giving her mate daily reminders of how wonderful she was.
On the last day in Marseille, she and Fleur had gotten up before dawn and made their way down to the ocean, taking the yacht out to watch the sunrise. She was amazed that Fleur knew how to sail the Muggle way and she happily assisted wherever she could, following Fleur's instructions for pulling various ropes and sails. It was one of the most picturesque moments Hermione had ever experienced. She was leaning back against Fleur's front on a lounge on the deck, snuggled under a blanket, just as the fiery orb broke the horizon and cast the most beautiful palette of color across the sky. After that they tossed in some fishing lines to try to catch something for brunch. She was surprised that they used Muggle methods, but then again, anyone in a boat might come by and they couldn't exactly be summoning fish directly out of the sea. Fleur prepared a sort of ceviche dish using the girelles they managed to hook and bring on board. They stayed out a few more hours just enjoying each other's company and finally having a private moment to themselves.
But as with all things, it was not to last and the couple reluctantly said their goodbyes to the family and traveled back to London after their week of fun. They planned to stay in the Leaky Cauldron so that Hermione could travel to the Ministry so she could take her exams. It would take two weeks for Hermione to take all of her tests, but once they were done, it was full steam ahead.
The first three Horcruxes were relatively easy. The Hufflepuff Cup was in the Lestrange vault. At this time the Slytherin Locket was still at Grimmauld Place, and Ravenclaw's Diadem was safely tucked away on the messy shelves of the Room of Requirement. That left three mysteries to solve. The Gaunt Ring, Nagini, and Harry.