Well folks, we have officially wrapped up Goblet of Fire and the summer after. From here on out it's pretty much rolling parts of the final 3 books into one new story called "Harry Potter and the Women Who Kick Ass and Take Names." Or more aptly named, "The Women Who Kick Ass and Take Names and some bits about Harry Potter."
Oh, and there's a little heated scene.
Fleur was sitting at the table of their little room above the Leaky Cauldron, sipping her tea as she read the Daily Prophet. Hermione had gone to the Ministry to take her last N.E.W.T. for Potions and she had the full day to herself. The stories were fairly ordinary, but in this case, no news was good news. There was no mention of Voldemort or Bellatrix, or any other suspicious Death Eater activity. They weren't expecting it yet. It had taken several months in the past timeline for the Death Eaters to become more active and the first disappearances to start. Then again, nothing about this timeline was like the first time and they had to be ready for anything.
She tossed the paper aside and looked out the window with a sigh. She made to get up and get ready to go out for the day however, a small advertisement caught her attention.
Do you like living on the edge? Are you looking for an adventure? Do you want to travel the world and explore the unknown? Gringotts now hiring Curse Breakers! Great benefits and compensation. Inquire within, no personal owls, please.
Fleur chuckled to herself. She had rather enjoyed her time as a Curse Breaker. Most of her days were spent on daring adventures exploring caves or ancient tombs. It kept her mind and body active and she had thrived on the adrenaline rush it provided. With her natural ability to sense powerful magical objects, she had risen fairly high in the ranks in a short period of time. It had also given her a perfect cover to keep her eyes and ears out for information that she could feed back to the Order.
She knew that this was not an option for her this timeline. Not with Bellatrix still on the loose and looking for her. She felt surprisingly disappointed by this, but she knew that if she were out in the field on a mission, she was practically a sitting target. Not to mention that it would put her work partner in danger, too. She wouldn't risk it. Maybe if they were successful and managed to defeat Voldemort and his Dark Lady, then she could reconsider it as an option for her career. Or perhaps an Auror. She had several decades before her mother retired and she was expected to take over the Clan. Might as well fit in some living and work experience before being stuck in the political web.
But this gave her an idea. They still needed to get the Hufflepuff Cup out of the impenetrable Gringotts Bank. Hermione had told her about their near-disastrous attempt, which involved her using Polyjuice Potion to take on the visage of Bellatrix herself and somehow escaping on the back of a dragon. She knew her mate was fearless, but some of the stories that the Golden Girl had told her about her adventures in the previous timeline were almost beyond belief. But then again, this was the woman who assumed the identity of her best friend knowing that meant that she would have to personally face off with Voldemort.
Who does that? Hermione Granger, that's who.
Fleur sat back in her chair, staring at the wall deep in thought. There had to be an easier way to get in and out of Gringotts that didn't involve dragons. Besides, she had had enough encounters with dragons to last her for a while.
Then it hit her. She remembered that a couple of times a year, the Curse Breakers did security checks on the wards and protective enchantments guarding the lower vaults. Which included the Lestrange Vault. All they needed was a Curse Breaker. Since she was out of the picture, they had limited options. Fortunately, she had the perfect person in mind.
In the past timeline, she and Bill Weasley had started working together the fall after her graduation from Beauxbatons once she completed her training period. At this point in time, the eldest Weasley was already employed and established by the bank. And very soon he was going to join the Order of the Phoenix. Perhaps they could see if they could pull some strings to ensure that Bill was on the team of Breakers for the next time this internal job came up. It would take time, but it was a possibility. And it didn't involve dragons.
Feeling good about her plan, she set her illusion disguise and left for the day. She had a few errands to tend to and then planned on reading at the cafe until it was time to meet Hermione for dinner later.
Hours later, she and Hermione were sitting outside of a little restaurant having dinner, both illusioned to appear as an elderly couple to anyone other than each other, enjoying the late July evening. They had cast a few light protective enchantments to deter eavesdroppers out of habit but the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley were relatively quiet and it would be hard for someone to listen in without them noticing.
Hermione still looked slightly disheveled from her day. Her bushy brown hair was pointing out in all directions, the ends still crackling a little with latent energy. Potions was her least favorite subject, after all, and had always given her the most trouble.
"Are you feeling okay, mon amour?" Fleur was concerned about how tired and stressed out Hermione seemed. She had lost most of her French accent almost immediately upon return to London. Being surrounded by her family and also hearing French being spoken regularly had caused her natural accent to come back out in force when they were in France.
"Yeah, I'm just glad that's finally over. I really think it's silly to have to do this considering everything going on, but I guess it's the best cover to explain my education."
"Yes, it is a good plan. Once we are done with our mission, you'll have to integrate back into society and you can't do that without graduating!" She chuckled and sipped her wine.
The Golden Girl laughed, taking a drink of her butterbeer, "I suppose. It all seems so foolish though, given everything else that's going on. But tell me about your day."
"It was good. I had a coffee and read at that little cafe down the way. I sent Maman a letter that said that I would be taking the year to travel abroad while you were at your internship, so they will not be expecting me to check in. I think that covers our bases pretty well."
"Good, and I've been dropping hints that you're going to be in France. The fewer people who know your actual whereabouts the better."
Fleur nodded, she didn't particularly like the idea of hiding, but she knew it was for the best that people did not know where she was. It would make avoiding Bellatrix easier. The Dark witch wouldn't know where to start if she was in fact looking for her.
"I also transferred a large sum of gold from my vault in France to yours in Gringotts. What's mine is yours after all. That way we won't have to worry about money and resources." Fleur smiled and reached under the table, rubbing Hermione's leg with her foot. "On a lighter note, I picked up some new quill nibs. I think yours will need to be changed out soon. Self-inking quills are not indefinite use."
Hermione nodded 'Yeah, I wondered about that. It was especially useful during those tests, I'll have you know. Not having to worry about spilling my inkwell or smudging my work. And it reminded me of you when I felt my focus slipping. But I think that it was starting to run out at the end."
"Well, you probably wrote 10 full rolls of parchment worth of essays over the last two weeks, I'm surprised it lasted that long."
"17 actually." Hermione grinned, then rolled her eyes at Fleur's unamused look "What? I'm an overachiever and they don't call me the brightest witch of my age for nothing!"
Fleur just laughed softly and sipped her wine again. "The rest of my day should probably be shared in more private quarters."
Hermione nodded, understanding the not-so-subtle message and the pair finished their meal with superficial conversation.
Back in the safety of their room, they cast a number of protective enchantments to avoid eavesdroppers, dropped their disguises, and got to the meat of their evening discussion.
Fleur told Hermione about her idea about the Cup, which the brunette was on board with, as expected. It was the easiest way to get in without setting off any suspicions. The last thing they needed was for Bellatrix and Voldemort to get wind of their plan to collect the Horcruxes and destroy them.
"I think that's bloody brilliant." Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically when she heard about Fleur's plan. "He'd already have access and a reason to go inside! In the meantime, I can work on making a replica that he can use to replace the original. He'll have to worry about the Gemini curse. Last time we almost were crushed by the pile of gold that we accidentally created."
Fleur smiled broadly as she sat on the couch, Hermione's head was in her lap and she absentmindedly stroked the side of the brunette's face, gently tugging on her hair every so often. They had both changed into their pajamas, baggy sleeping shirts and loose shorts. "And the Locket is in Grimmauld Place at this point in time?"
"Yes, we actually had found it when Molly had us clean out the place in the last timeline. We didn't know what it was and actually tossed it in the rubbish pile when we couldn't open it. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble if we had known. Well, second time's the charm, I guess."
Fleur nodded "So, when we get these Horcruxes, what should we do with them? You said that the locket made you act horribly when you wore it."
"I thought about that, too. The Diadem is safely in the Room of Requirement. We can just store the rest in there. No one would be suspecting."
"You mean, we would have to sneak into Hogwarts?" Fleur raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going.
"Not sneak. I'm sure Dumbledore would let us on the grounds." Hermione shrugged and closed her eyes with a wide yawn.
"Are you tired, mon amour?"
"Mmm, a little. More mentally tired, I suppose."
"Perhaps I could give you a massage to make you feel better?" Fleur offered hopefully.
"That sounds lovely, actually. I didn't realize how much stress I was carrying from these stupid exams. I've already taken them for Morgana's sake! But the last time I had at least had a proper chance to study," the brunette whined softly.
"Mmm, yes, you definitely need to relax now that it is over. Come, let me help you. I think you have more than earned it a hundred times over." Fleur waited for Hermione to roll off her lap before getting up and leading them to their tiny bedroom.
Once there she sat down with a sigh "I will say that I miss my bed."
"It was amazing, I miss it too. But I would be happy with the floor as long as I have you," the brunette joined her on the bed.
"So… this will be easier if you took your shirt off." She blushed brightly. Why was she suddenly so nervous about seeing her mate partially naked? She had seen many women in various states of undress before, either in the Quidditch dressing rooms or just changing around the dorms. But this felt different. She had felt nothing for the other women but she felt everything for Hermione. It was their next step and it excited her more than she realized.
"I have something special. Why don't you get yourself ready and lie face down on the bed and I'll go get it."
"Oh, right." The Gryffindor nodded with an awkward chuckle and pulled her shirt off as the French Veela went back into the main room. She had already taken off her bra earlier, so she was bare from the waist up. She lay down on the bed, she slid her arms under the pillow and rested her head on top, tilted to the side. Her eyes slipped closed as she waited.
Fleur came back with her vial and froze at the sight before her. Her mouth went dry as she stared unabashedly for a moment, just taking in the view. Hermione's flawless sun kissed skin laid bare and on full display, her adorable tan lines from her swimsuit still clearly visible. Her ribs expanded and contracted with each breath and she could make out the gentle swell of the side of her breast. She still had a runner's physique, even though they hadn't gone running together for some time. Her eyes traced the curve of her spine and the shallow dip of her waist, giving her a perfect hourglass form. She looked so soft and touchable. Then she remembered that she had a task to do and scurried over to the bed, settling next to her mate, propped up on her knees so she could lean over.
"Mmm, I was wondering where you went." Hermione murmured, her voice muffled slightly from the pillow.
Fleur smiled, her hands hovering just an inch or so over the bare tan skin. "I got you something special to celebrate finishing your exams." She might have gone to the apothecary earlier that day and purchased some special oils for this very purpose. Her hands trembled as she uncorked the bottle and dripped a few drops down the curve of her mate's back. The soft smell of rose petals and lavender filled the air. Once there was a decent amount on Hermione's back, she set the bottle on the nightstand and tentatively touched her smooth skin, pressing her palms into the tense muscles.
"Oh, that feels like heaven." The brunette sighed happily and melted into the bed.
Fleur carefully massaged the knots out of Hermione's shoulders and neck, loving the feeling of her hands gliding over her skin. The oils had been a very good idea. Once she finished her back, she carefully worked her way down one arm, then switched to the other and worked her way back up. She loved the little sighs and moans she earned as she worked the tension out of the taut muscles.
"You spoil me, Fleur…" Hermione mumbled sleepily.
"It is my mission to make you happy every day, mon amour. Your happiness brings me great satisfaction, especially when it is directly related to something I have done for you." Fleur chuckled and leaned down to kiss her mate's exposed cheek.
"This isn't fair."
"What isn't fair?" Fleur tilted her head, slightly confused by the random statement.
"You still have a shirt on."
"Oh…" Fleur pulled her top off without a second thought, lowering herself down on the bed on her stomach, lying next to the sleepy witch.
"Will you hold me?" Hermione turned on her side with her back to her.
"Oui, mon amour." Fleur scooted onto her side and pulled Hermione flush with her. She looped an arm under Hermione's pillow so her head rested on her arm, the other draped over her waist, holding their bodies close. Even just feeling their bare skin touching like this felt like lightning pulsing across her skin. She could feel herself starting to get excited and knew that her mate could probably feel the shift in her sleeping shorts, but her mate had no reaction except for a soft snore as she fell asleep.
Fleur snorted quietly to herself and kissed Hermione's back and shoulders a few times as her own eyes slipped shut, feeling content and completely at ease.
Hermione woke the next morning feeling rather well rested and thoroughly relaxed. But hot. So hot. And there was something smooth lying behind her, holding her close. It didn't feel like Fleur's shirt. She started to stir as she woke up and felt Fleur's hand tighten directly on her waist as she moved. Her eyelids fluttered open as her mind caught up and sleepily looked down.
"Oh!" she squeaked when she realized she was naked from the waist up. She slowly looked behind her and realized that her personal heating pad was Fleur's naked torso. "Oh!" she squeaked again. How did that happen? The last thing she remembered was Fleur's magnificent massage… Oooohhh… she blushed slightly as the foggy memory formed in her mind.
She felt Fleur shift slightly in her sleep, grasping her tighter about the waist. Her steady, even breathing was the only indicator that the blonde was still fast asleep and moving subconsciously. She could feel the swell of Fleur's breasts against her back, pressing against her with each breath and she reveled in the feeling. And then she felt something firm pressing against her backside as the blonde shifted her hips. Oh! They had cuddled together most nights since they started sleeping in the same bed in France, but apparently Fleur hadn't gotten excited in her sleep before.
Naturally, Hermione was curious. She hadn't felt Fleur's cock in such detail yet, with only a few thin layers of fabric separating them. Every other time had been through her jeans or thick robes. From what she could gather in their current position, it was much larger than she had initially anticipated. Not over the top, but above average in both length and girth according to the books she had read. She curiously rocked her hips back, which was met with an instinctive forward movement from the Veela. She instantly regretted it, suddenly feeling rather guilty. She felt like she was breaching a line, since Fleur was still asleep and not in control of herself, so she quickly put her curiosity aside and lay still, just enjoying the feeling of her mate wrapped around her.
As much as she wanted to stay in this position, her bladder was starting to protest and she carefully extracted herself from the mess of limbs and blankets holding her in place. Once taking care of a few morning necessities, she made a quick breakfast of toast and jam and tea and headed back to the bedroom, holding the tray.
Her heart melted when she took in the sight of her mate laying on the bed. She had somehow managed to wrap herself up in the sheets like a cocoon with only her head sticking out, and she looked positively adorable. She stared for a moment, not wanting to wake her up and ruin the moment.
"Mmm… You know it's rude to leave a woman alone in bed…" Fleur's sleepy voice muttered as she returned to their room with the tray. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her crystal blues gazing up at her, still slightly unfocused in her sleepy state.
In that moment, the cerulean orbs were like windows and Hermione thought she could see straight into the depths of Fleur's soul. Everything holding her down was stripped away. The weight of the War she had experienced and the burden they both carried now. It was just purely Fleur. It made her heart skip several beats.
A broad smile crept across the Veela's face as she slowly looked up and down, admiring the view in front of her. "But for this, I do not think I mind that much."
Hermione blushed when she remembered that she was standing there in very skimpy clothing. "I thought you might be hungry…"
Fleur nodded slowly and sat up, leaning her back against the headboard. The blanket covering her fell away, revealing her naked torso and Hermione's heart skipped several more beats. She gazed at the alabaster skin on display, eyes raking across every inch. She looked absolutely beautiful, perfect in every way. Her soft mounds were slightly more than a handful and capped with delicate pink peaks. Her skin was flawless and it called to her like a lighthouse in the night. It took every ounce of self control not to throw the tray in her hands and jump into bed. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, unable to form words.
"See something you like? Because I certainly do." Fleur teased softly and patted the empty spot on the bed.
Hermione's feet felt like lead but she somehow managed to pry herself from the spot by the door and made her way to the bed, setting the tray down. "Errr, thank you for the massage last night, I apparently needed it. I don't remember falling asleep."
"Of course, it was my pleasure. And you were adorable. I hope you do not mind our state of undress. You asked for me to even the playing field… and then fell asleep." Fleur laughed and reached for a piece of toast, trying to keep her mate's eyes on her face rather than her chest. And she was doing a decent job, though those curious blue orbs flickered downward a few times.
Hermione blushed "I don't mind. You're very beautiful to look at, too," she hid her face in her teacup.
"You as well, ma belle. It feels easy to be so open around you."
Hermione hummed softly as she nibbled on her toast.
They ate for a while, just enjoying each other's company, shyly sneaking glances over at each other every now. But as time wore on, they became more comfortable in each other's partial nudeness.
Fleur tilted her head to the side, watching the gears turn in Hermione's head. "Something is on your mind. I can tell by the way your eyebrows are knit together."
"Right… Ever since meeting your family, I've been wondering a bit about Veela culture and clan leadership. I'm a little confused about it. So you're an alpha, and so is your mother. But how is she married to your father?"
Fleur took a moment to sip her tea as she arranged her thoughts "Ah, yes. It is a bit confusing, especially to someone not raised in the clan. So the way Veela leadership works has to do with our inner Veela. When we reach puberty, our Veela first presents herself to us. Some Veela are just Veela and some present as alphas, like myself and my mother. Our anatomy shifts if necessary to accommodate procreational needs with our true mate. So we know that my mother was intended to have a male mate. However, she never found him and decided to marry my father and start a family. In my case, I immediately knew I was intended to have a female mate when I developed my penis. Which I will have you know was quite a shock to wake up to. Are you following so far?"
Hermione nodded slowly, carefully taking in this new information.
"An alpha's firstborn daughter is almost always an alpha, too, but not always. It is also possible for someone to have more than one alpha offspring. My grandmother has two alpha daughters, my mother and aunt Camille. Since my mother was the first born alpha, clan leadership shifted to her when my grandmother stepped down and will follow her line to me. However, if her Veela was somehow not an alpha, it would have passed to Camille and her line, in which case I would no longer be the immediate heir, even though I am an alpha born of my grandmother's eldest daughter."
Hermione blinked as she nibbled on the edge of her toast and jam "I feel like I need to get a piece of parchment to try to draw this out."
Fleur snorted "You can try, but it will probably look like a spider web by the time we finish. It gets a little confusing in the case where there is no longer an alpha in a bloodline. Leadership will shift to the next relative alpha of the previous alpha. So if something happened to me, it would shift back to Camille and her line, since she is also an alpha. That would be an interesting case because neither Rochelle nor Cecile are alphas, probably due to the fact that they are twins, though that is uncertain. So when it came time for Camille to step down, it would just shift to the next eldest alpha in the family. It is also possible for there to be an interim non-alpha clan leader until the next alpha presents itself. But this rarely happens."
Hermione's head was spinning. While most of this made sense to her, following the alphas within a bloodline, the shifting between bloodlines was very convoluted. "Okay, let me get this straight then. Hypothetically speaking, say your mother was not an alpha and Camille was the clan leader, when it came time for her to retire, it would jump back to you as the eldest alpha since there is no available alpha within Camille's line?
"Oui, it is not linear, but somehow it works for us. For now, the succession of leadership is just going to follow from Maman to me… to our daughter if we have one." Fleur held her breath, they had not had the 'that talk' yet. Her heart was pounding and her eyes uncertain as she watched Hermione's reaction.
Hermione blinked "Oh right… kids."
"I'm sorry, ma belle. We probably should have talked about this."
Hermione nodded "Well, I'm not opposed to the idea… and honestly, I kind of suspected that was something in our future. The whole 'mates' thing kind of implies, well… mating. Which usually leads to kids. I like the idea of raising a family with you, honestly. And after meeting your family and knowing how well loved and protected they would be just makes me even more comfortable with the idea. Just with everything else going on, I'm not sure it's something I can really think about."
"It is something we can revisit, we have time. And if it is something we decide we do not want, the clan will be fine. I am nearly certain Gabrielle's Veela will also be an alpha. I mean, just look at the little monster! An attitude like that? She was practically born to boss people around." The Veela cautiously reached over and stroked the brunette's cheek. "All I want is to live a long, happy life with you, children or not."
"I mean, I also feel like we're getting a little ahead of ourselves, seeing as we haven't even had intercourse yet." Hermione chuckled nervously and leaned into her hand. "I mean, this is the first time I've seen you partially naked, for Morgana's sake."
"But it is a sight worth the wait, non?"
"Merlin, yes. I can't believe I've managed not to touch you this whole time."
"Well, there's nothing sexier than talking about Veela politics to get the mood going," Fleur deadpanned. "You may touch me if you like, I do not mind."
Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and moved the tray off the bed to the top of the dresser. She returned to the bed and sat next to the blonde, staring into her icy pools for a moment before hesitantly moving her right hand over and placing it on the smooth skin of Fleur's left breast. She felt a jolt of energy course through her body at the simple touch and her left hand quickly followed suit.
She marveled at how soft they were. She had touched her own breasts, of course, but there was something much more exciting about touching her one's. They were slightly smaller than her own, but they felt amazing and she gave them a curious squeeze, which elicited a soft moan from the Frenchwoman.
The next thing she knew she was engaged in a deep, passionate kiss with her mate, both hands firmly on her chest, groping excitedly. Fleur's hands had found their way to her own, eagerly squeezing and massaging her in return.
In a split second, Fleur flipped her onto her back, and she instinctively moved her legs to provide her mate with a place to settle herself. Her arms wrapped around the Veela's sides and grasped at her back, her fingertips pressing into the firm muscles.
The blonde propped herself up on her elbows, leaning over her and kissing her roughly, their bare torsos pressed firmly together. It felt different, their chests pressed together like this, not unpleasant but definitely different. The feel of their skin moving together was intoxicating. She could feel the hardened member barely contained within Fleur's shorts, pressing against her core.
"'Ermione, wait," Fleur panted and pulled away from their kiss. She rolled away to the other side of the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest. Her eyes wide and pupils blown but she looked at odds with herself. There was a hunger there that she had never seen before. And Merlin did she want to sate that hunger for her. But she also looked terrified, staring at the blankets..
"I'm not in control," her voice was small.
Hermione paused and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "Right. Yeah… We should talk about this." She licked her lips and sat back, her hands on her lap.
"I want to, I really do. I just want to make sure that we are both ready. My Veela, she can be impatient and I want to make sure that our first time is just us, not my instinct pushing us before we are ready."
"I respect that and I really appreciate your control." Hermione nodded "I'm sorry for getting excited. How can I help make this easier for you?"
"You have nothing to apologize for. I am excited too. While I am all for impromptu sex once we are further in our relationship, I think our first time we should at least know before we start." Fleur shook her head softly and offered a reassuring smile. She carefully unwrapped her long limbs and held her arm out. "Come here, mon amour."
Hermione immediately tucked herself into the crook of Fleur's arm, her head resting against her neck, allowing her mate to wrap around her protectively. She felt the blonde's heart beating erratically in her chest. "I agree. I really want to be yours and you to be mine in every way."
"You don't know how happy I am to hear that, mon amour." Fleur twisted her neck and managed to give her a small kiss on the forehead.
They sat there in comfortable silence for several long minutes, both breathing deeply to calm themselves down.
Tap, tap, tap
Hermione looked up "What was that?"
Fleur shifted too and looked out the window. There was a large snowy owl hovering, desperately pecking at the window.
Hermione recognized the bird and quickly moved across the room, pulling a shirt on as she walked, and opened the window.
Hedwig tumbled into the room with an irritated hoot, holding out her foot. There was a scroll tied to her leg.
She quickly knelt down and untied the parchment and the owl gave an indignant hoot and flew out the window.
She unfurled the parchment and started reading, scanning the untidy scrawl.
"What is it?" Fleur leaned forward on the bed, fixing her with a curious look.
"It's Harry. He's been expelled."