Fleur did return, much later.
The sun had set and the apartment was dark. Hermione had occupied her unsettled mind for a few hours by reading the books strewn about the table, but had soon become too nervous to focus. She was leaning against the windowsill, jiggling a leg up and down agitatedly when she heard the locking charms of the door go down. Her head perked up immediately and she straightened up.
"Fleur?"
Fleur slowly entered the apartment, carefully closing and locking the door behind her. She looked beautiful, as she always did. Her Veela bloodline assured her of that. But there was something bothering her. Hermione could see the hint of it playing at the edges of Fleur's calm expression.
"Fleur, about earlier… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to do something like that… Especially not against your will…"
"Hermione," Fleur silenced her, stepping gracefully through the dark shadows of the apartment. For a moment Hermione lost sight of the woman in the darkness, but Fleur stepped into the dim moonlight, standing close to Hermione by the windowsill.
"Please don't be freaked out," Hermione said softly, not even daring to look at Fleur's bright blue eyes out of sheer awkwardness. Her hands tightened their grip on the windowsill, her knuckles turning white.
"I'm not freaked out," Fleur replied, equally as softly. She sighed heavily, "Which I suppose is the problem."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked slowly, not even daring to breathe.
"I… I liked it," Fleur confessed. Hermione glanced upwards at this, but Fleur had turned away, her face hidden in the shadows again.
"You what?"
"It doesn't matter," Fleur replied quickly, "It would not be appropriate. I am your legal representation… I am married… I have Bill."
"But… you liked it?" Hermione asked, stunned. Fleur hesitated. Hermione was thrown. She wasn't sure she had seen the proud and confident woman hesitate before.
"Hermione…" Fleur trailed off, her voice strained. Hermione pushed herself off the windowsill, stepping slowly towards Fleur. The blonde still had her back to her, her platinum blonde locks falling down her back elegantly. She had taken off her heels and was no longer taller than Hermione, no longer quite as intimidating.
Hermione, slowly, cautiously, reached around and embraced Fleur from behind. She felt Fleur relax into her, allowing herself to be hugged by Hermione. Hermione wasn't sure anything had ever felt so right to her. Not in a long time, if ever. Fleur seemed to fit in her arms as if she was meant to be there. It set a wild current through Hermione, her pulse quickening and sending a pang deep in her stomach. Hermione felt as if for once her constantly racing brain had switched off and she was running purely on instinct. She leaned in, her lips almost brushing Fleur's ear.
"I want you," Hermione said, her voice strangely hoarse. She felt Fleur lean further into her.
"We can't," Fleur said in the same strained voice as before.
"I know," Hermione sighed, releasing Fleur. She took a deep, shaky breath, stepping away from the blonde. Not trusting herself to say anything more, she silently turned and walked to the small bedroom, finally taking herself to bed.
Hermione awoke to nightmares, as usual. The sun was streaming in to the small bedroom as she sat up and ran a hand across her sweaty forehead, the violent images already beginning to fade.
The other side of the bed was empty and hadn't been slept in. Hermione supposed she couldn't blame Fleur for that. A warm feeling grew in Hermione's stomach as she thought about Fleur confessing she had enjoyed their kiss. The way Fleur seemed to be genuinely struggling not to give in to an attraction to her.
Hermione sighed and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the bedroom. Fleur was right of course. It would be beyond inappropriate. Hermione supposed there was some kind of regulation that would get Fleur in trouble if she were to sleep with a client. Then there was Bill…
A clanging in the kitchen stirred Hermione from her thoughts and she got up, padding into the next room.
Fleur had just fixed herself a coffee and sat down at the small table, already leafing through some papers. The blonde looked up, a hint of embarrassment evident on her face before her usual aloofness kicked in.
"Sorry, I would have made you a coffee if I knew you were awake," Fleur said, looking down at the papers in front of her.
"S'okay," Hermione replied with a yawn, "I prefer tea anyway."
She stretched as she walked to the kitchen, feeling Fleur's eyes on her.
"Did you have nightmares again last night?" Fleur's voice seemed overly casual this morning.
"Yeah," Hermione replied, beginning to fix herself a mug of tea, "Think I'm getting used to it as being my new normal though."
"I don't think that's a good thing," Fleur replied, a frown evident in her voice.
"Yeah, well, we'll toss you in Azkaban and see what coping methods you come up with," Hermione replied waspishly, before realising she had lost her temper again, "Erm… Sorry."
She turned back to Fleur, joining her at the table with her mug of tea. Fleur didn't seem offended, instead looking at Hermione with concern.
"You are so angry all the time," Fleur said softly, "I worry about you Hermione."
"You can't," Hermione replied, hearing the sulkiness in her tone as she threw Fleur's words from the previous night back at her. Fleur blushed lightly and looked down, biting her lip.
"Just because…" Fleur trailed off, "I still care about you, you know?"
Hermione sighed heavily, trying to let her rational side take over again.
"I know," Hermione replied, "Its easy to get frustrated when I know Bellatrix is just waiting for me to get back in those cells to exact revenge… and God knows where Ron and Harry are… Every time I start to relax my mind comes up with another horrible thought."
"One thing at a time," Fleur replied with an encouraging smile, "First we work on your defence."
Fleur tapped the papers in front of her. Hermione rolled her eyes. She wondered if this was how Harry and Ron had felt when she insisted on homework when there were dangerous matters afoot at Hogwarts.
"No… First I have to work out… If I'm going to end up back in those cells I need to make sure I can protect myself," Hermione replied, downing her tea.
"You don't trust me?" Fleur replied, looking haughtily at her. Hermione smiled grimly.
"I don't doubt you are a talented lawyer," Hermione replied, "I just don't trust the system right now. Umbridge as Head of the Wizengamot? Hardly seems like I'll be getting a fair trial."
Fleur didn't reply, instead focussing her attention on the papers in front of her.
Hermione found herself less agitated after working out. It felt like she was at least doing something to prepare for the worst case scenario. Afterwards she took a long shower and re-joined Fleur at the table, finally ready to help with the research effort.
The next few days seemed to follow the same routine: Fleur working all day, Hermione working out and joining her. Fleur would leave the house very occasionally for a meeting or to restock the cupboards, but otherwise remained at home dedicated to her work.
Hermione began to wonder one day if Fleur was getting lonely, being unable to invite any of her friends or Bill around because of their connection to Hogwarts and Hermione's strict bail conditions. Hermione watched her across the table one day. Fleur was looking focussed, proud and reserved. She was scribbling careful notes in the margin of a document.
"I hope you're not cutting yourself off socially on my account," Hermione said, her voice rough from hours of not speaking. Fleur looked up immediately, startled. They had been working in intense silence for a few hours.
"Non," Fleur replied, "I am content busying myself with your case."
She looked down again, resuming her scribbling of notes. Hermione exhaled heavily.
"Yeah… But… I mean, if you need a date night with Bill or to go and spend some time with friends… I don't need a babysitter," Hermione said. She was feeling more and more like a burden now she was seeing the full extent of how much time Fleur spent on her case.
"I… I don't need that," Fleur replied, not looking up from her work. Hermione slapped her hand down on the papers in front of Fleur, startling the blonde.
"Dammit, Fleur, can you stop working for once?" Hermione demanded, exasperated.
Fleur locked eyes with her, slowly putting down her quill and leaning back in her chair. She watched Hermione carefully.
"What is wrong, Hermione?" Fleur asked slowly.
"What isn't wrong," Hermione laughed humourlessly, "But right now? You're running yourself into the ground working on my case. You work all hours, you never sleep, you barely see anyone except me. You can't be happy."
"Happy?" Fleur replied, raising an eyebrow, "I think there are more pressing matters at hand."
"Fleur!" Hermione raised her voice, "Like it or not I'm the one that's isolated. I'm the one on bail. I'm the one that's set to be sentenced to life in Azkaban. You don't have to lock yourself up too."
"You're getting yourself angry again," Fleur said dismissively, trying to pull her papers from under Hermione's hands.
"Damn right, I am!" Hermione replied, "Fleur, can you at least take one night off?"
Fleur tried to tug at the papers again and Hermione wrenched them out of her hands. Fleur sighed, frowning.
"You're not going to give up, are you?" Fleur asked, "Fine. I will go out."
"Really?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Really," Fleur replied moodily, "I'll just need to owl Bill to arrange to meet him for a drink."
"Right," Hermione replied, settling back into her seat. She was glad that Fleur was finally going to take a break and get out of the tiny apartment, but a part of Hermione was crestfallen at Fleur heading out for a date with her husband.
'She's not mine,' Hermione reminded herself inwardly, her jaw tensing.
Fleur was up and moving gracefully about the room, organising herself.
Hermione sat quietly at the table, nursing another cup of tea.
An owl was sent, an owl was received, and soon Fleur had disappeared out the door to meet Bill.
Hermione's frustrations only continued to ebb in the hours as she sat in the empty apartment following Fleur's exit.
Still sitting at the small table as her tea turned cold, Hermione began to think of Fleur. The blonde was infuriating, yes. Startlingly beautiful, but arrogantly aware of it. Intelligent but haughty. Hermione was loathe to be tied to the woman for the worst experience of her life. But at the same time she felt like she was drawn to her. The sexual tension was undeniable. Hermione wanted Fleur bad. More than that… Hermione was growing more protective of the woman. She genuinely cared that the Frenchwoman was working herself into the ground. She cared when Fleur was confronted by the man at the grocery stalls…
Hermione's hands tightened into fists at the memory. She wondered how often Fleur was tailed by disgruntled family members of those she had faced in the Wizengamot. She wondered how many would be disgruntled by her defending Hermione… No doubt Death Eaters and non Death Eaters alike…
"Fuck," Hermione exhaled.
Now she couldn't get the thoughts out of her head. Fleur being silently followed by witches and wizards with sinister intentions. Fleur perhaps even being kidnapped like Harry and Ron had.
Hermione slammed her fists down on the table.
'She has Bill… She'll be fine…' Hermione told herself, her jaw tensing and untensing, bouncing a leg up and down.
'She's a powerful witch,' Hermione kept trying to settle herself down. She was on bail. She couldn't do anything rash, 'She's more than capable of looking after herself. She told you as much at the grocery stalls.'
But the dark thoughts kept coming. Thoughts of Pansy somehow out of Azkaban, stabbing Fleur just as coldly as she had stabbed Lucius Malfoy.
"Fuck it," Hermione grunted, standing up suddenly. She rushed over to the coat stand, grabbing a thick cloak and headed out the door.
Her hood up and covering her face, Hermione made sure to keep a wide berth from getting too close to anyone. The last thing she wanted was to get recognised and risk her bail. Hermione stuck to the shadows, keeping an eye out for Fleur.
She headed along the alley of boutique high end bars she had heard Fleur speak of previously.
'This is crazy,' Hermione thought to herself, 'Fleur will be fine. She's a cocky git, but for good reason… She's a gifted witch. Plus, Bill would never let her come to any harm.'
Hermione tugged her hood further over her head, deciding to head home before she could screw up her bail over a misguided sense of protectiveness over the blonde.
A nearby bar door opened and a handsome redheaded man exited, followed by a stunning blonde. Bill and Fleur.
Hermione halted in her steps. She was sure Fleur would lose it if she knew she had followed her, even if it was out of concern.
Bill hugged Fleur tightly. They both appeared quite drunk. Hermione's stomach clenched in jealousy as Bill leaned in and kissed Fleur. But Bill stepped away, letting go of Fleur's hand before apparating away.
'The drunk idiot isn't going to walk her home?!' Hermione thought to herself angrily, watching as Fleur ambled drunkenly down the street, fishing in her handbag, presumably for her wand.
A couple of drunk men walking past wolf whistled at Fleur and Hermione felt her temper rise. She followed Fleur at a distance, weighing up whether or not to let herself be known to the blonde.
Fleur was engrossed in what she was doing, not noticing where she was going until she bumped into a large man.
Hermione couldn't hear what was said but the man shoved Fleur hard and she stumbled back into a wall.
Hermione rushed forward, catching up to them before the man could do anything else.
"Stay away from her!" Hermione shouted.
The man looked at Hermione, his eyes widening with recognition and fear as he recognised who she was. He raised his hands in surrender, stepping back a few paces before taking off into the night.
Fleur had righted herself now, rubbing her elbow. She looked at Hermione, her eyes narrowing in the dark shadows of the alleyway.
"Hermione!" Fleur hissed, "You're not supposed to be here!"
"Yeah? And you shouldn't be wandering around alone and drunk!" Hermione hissed back, "You're representing me—you're just as much of a target as everyone else close to me!"
"Bill was just here," Fleur said dismissively, waving a hand drunkenly. Hermione felt herself soften.
"Lets get you home," Hermione said softly, taking Fleur's hand and apparating them back to the apartment.
In the light of the apartment, it became even more apparent how drunk Fleur was as she stumbled about taking off her jacket and her heels.
"Wow, you are drunk," Hermione commented. Fleur giggled.
"Some say I am a lightweight," Fleur replied, disappearing into the bedroom for a moment. Hermione heard clattering around before silence.
The brunette cautiously walked to the bedroom, not wanting to rudely walk in on Fleur in a state of undress. A smile grew on her face as she walked in, finding Fleur facedown on top of the bed in her nightdress.
"Lets get you under the covers properly," Hermione murmured, coming up beside the blonde and pulling the duvet from under her before covering her with it.
The Frenchwoman made a sleepy noise of protest before snuggling contentedly into a pillow. Hermione smirked, Fleur was very cute when she didn't have pretences about her.
Hermione changed herself into her pyjamas before turning out the light and climbing into the other side of the bed. She kept her back to Fleur, cautious of waking the girl.
"Hermione?" Fleur's voice was heavy with sleep and drink.
"Yeah?"
"I… I want you too," Fleur confessed.
Hermione rolled over in surprise, but the blonde was already fast asleep.