Chapter 15.
"I mean, I managed to cover for you two by lying… So my drink can not 'ave been spiked… Can it?" Gabrielle hissed to the others as they filed behind the Delacour parents.
"I don't know," Hermione muttered back.
"Are you going to to be joining us?" Apolline asked icily from the table several paces away. Hermione nodded furiously before leading the Delacour daughters to sit at the table with their intimidating parents.
"So, what would someone as accomplished as you be doing wiz a woman?" Jacques asked Hermione, with no preamble, "Surely as a war 'ero you could 'ave any man you wanted?"
"With all due respect, I don't want any man," Hermione replied, "I want to be with your daughter."
"I do not understand," Apolline replied with despair, "'Ow did zis even 'appen? Fleur, I zought we were firm wiz you."
Hermione felt her tongue loosen as the Veritaserum played its cruel trick again.
"It happened because Fleur's Veela heritage caused her to submit to me," Hermione answered, blushing, "I took advantage of her but then I couldn't deny that I had feelings for her. After that she agreed to give me another chance and we have been together ever since."
"You took advantage of my daughter?!" Jacques exclaimed, outraged. He made to stand from his chair but Apolline stopped him with a firm hand on his arm.
"Ze Veela mating instincts 'appened?" Apolline asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Now just wait a second, you took advantage of my daughter?!" Jacques cut in again.
Hermione was biting her tongue so hard it felt like it was bleeding. But the cursed Veritaserum was working again.
"Yes, Apolline," Hermione said, addressing the Delacour matriarch, "I studied Veela mating habits in great detail and recognised the hallmark signs when they began to happen. And yes, Jacques, I then took advantage of that to nail Fleur."
Gabrielle choked on her drink at the blunt way in which it came tumbling out of Hermione's mouth. Fleur winced, watching her father's reaction. Jacques was purpling and a vein was beginning to stick out on his forehead.
"Ze Veela mating instincts… Zere is no record of it 'aving occurred between Veela and women before…" Apolline looked thoughtful, tapping her fingers on her lip.
"Apolline!" Jacques exclaimed, "Our daughter was defiled! By a woman!"
"Jacques, zere are more pressing zings at 'and 'ere," Apolline chided, "Is zis true, Fleur?"
"Yes, Maman," Fleur replied, "Its true. It was the strangest sensation. Then after we… Erm… The uncontrollable submission stopped and I felt a connection."
"I felt the connection too," Hermione added. She noted that Fleur had been able to omit the actual admission of having sex. That must have meant that Ron had only spiked the drink placed closest to Hermione. At least he is only lashing out at me, Hermione mused, supposing that was at least a small silver lining of the situation.
"It is ze bonding part," Apolline said slowly, a look of dawning realisation on her face, "I guess it really must be possible for a mate to be a woman…"
Jacques slammed his fist down on the table, silencing them all and gathering the attention of several nearby tables.
"Apolline," Jacques said in a cold voice, "I cannot stand for zis. I do not care 'oo she is or what she did in ze war. She is a woman. A woman 'oo 'as dragged our daughter into disrepute."
"Jacques, this changes everything. Fleur can't fight her Veela heritage. If her Veela blood is causing her to behave like this, then the young woman here must be her mate," Apolline fired at Jacques rapidly in French.
"Mother, this is what I've been trying to tell you for ages," Fleur said with distaste, "Veela and mates aside, I can't help that I like women."
"She is right, Maman," Gabrielle piped up, attempting to switch the conversation back into English.
"I cannot believe my daughter 'as found a mate," Apolline said slowly, still processing it all.
Jacques snatched his napkin from her lap and threw it heavily on the table.
"Apolline," Jacques chided, "You need to come to your senses. I cannot sit 'ere a minute longer and 'ear how my daughter 'as been ruining ze Delacour name being used by women."
"I'm not using her," Hermione cut in, "I might have been horrible in the beginning… But I'm working hard to make up for that. I love your daughter."
Fleur froze, her jaw dropping. Hermione was bound by Veritaserum to tell the truth. So that meant…
"You love her?" Gabrielle exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"You defiled 'er," Jacques hissed, "I never want to see you near my family again."
He stood up abruptly, looking at Apolline expectantly. But Apolline was looking between Fleur and Hermione curiously. Jacques sighed heavily, readjusted his jacket, and stormed out of the restaurant.
"I am so sorry about zat," Gabrielle said to Hermione.
"You love me?" Fleur uttered slowly.
"I do," Hermione admitted freely, "I can't believe I tried to fight it."
"I need to tell my muzzer about zis," Apolline murmured, still looking between Fleur and Hermione, "Eet is a most unusual development."
"Maman," Fleur began, but her mother lifted a finger, silencing her.
"I must leave at once, I want to talk to my muzzer about zis," Apolline said distractedly, "I will call on you to see me once I 'ave spoken to 'er,"
Apolline stood up, putting her coat back on and sweeping off without another word.
Hermione looked around the table, surprised. Gabrielle shook her head, smiling.
"And zat is our parents," Gabrielle said with an unimpressed smile, "Welcome to ze family, 'Ermione,"
"Are they usually like that?" Hermione asked, as the waitress appeared to take the orders of the now half-empty table.
"Like zat or some variation of it," Gabrielle shrugged. She turned to the waitress and placed her order calmly, entirely unfazed by the behaviour of her parents.
After Fleur and Hermione had ordered, Fleur took Hermione's hand on top of the table.
"I cannot believe zat my sister 'as met a mate," Gabrielle said with a wide grin, "And zat 'er mate loves her! It is so cute!"
Hermione smiled and squeezed Fleur's hand on top of the table. Fleur wasn't sure she had felt this content before. Honestly, she had expected both her parents to have the reaction that her father had had. For her mother to stop and accept that Hermione was her mate… That was a huge deal.
Their meals arrived relatively quickly and Fleur happily dove into her soup. Not an ideal evening, but a successful evening nonetheless.
Fleur paused in her meal and narrowed her eyes as a familiar broad shouldered redhead ambled over to the table. Ron sat in Apolline's abandoned chair, placing a full pint heavily on the table. He reached over and snatched a piece of chicken off Hermione's plate that he wolfed down.
"Hey ladies, how was meeting the parents?" Ron asked with a smirk.
"You bloody well know how it went, you prat," Hermione said with a frown, "You spiked my drink with veritaserum."
"Well, its not the worst thing in the world that you're forced to tell the truth," Ron shrugged, "I'm sure now Fleur's parents know that you're as fucked up as I am. Face it, 'Mione, we belong together."
"We don't," Hermione answered firmly, "I love Fleur."
"Y-you…" the smile fell off Ron's face as he knew that Hermione was bound to tell the truth.
"You are being extremely rude," Gabrielle said bluntly, "I think you should leave."
Ron ignored Gabrielle, looking at Hermione with unbridled disbelief.
"You can't tell me she's enough for you," Ron spluttered, outraged, "There's no way you're happy with a woman instead of me."
"I can honestly say I've never been more satisfied, emotionally and sexually," Hermione blurted, the Veritaserum working its magic again. Ron dropped the last of the chicken that was in his hand. Fleur blushed, overwhelmed at Hermione's candid admission. Gabrielle smirked at the horror on Ron's face.
"F-fine," Ron said finally, reddening, "I guess I'm on my fucking own then, aren't I?!"
Ron downed his pint in one go and got up unsteadily from the table before weaving his way out of the restaurant.
"Okay, I never expected ze Ron Weasley from ze Golden Trio to be like zat at all…" Gabrielle said, watching him bump into a diner on his way out, "'E seems so dysfunctional and mean,"
"He hasn't been the same since the war," Hermione explained, "None of us have been. I'm just lucky I have Fleur here to keep me dealing with things in a healthy way."
"Oh, mon amour," Fleur said with a smile, pecking Hermione on the cheek, "You have done the hardest work yourself."