Tell Me Your Secrets.
Author: Ladyfun
Rating: M. Why? Because.
Disclaimers: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its accessories. That belongs to JK Rowling as everyone in the free world is aware. All for good non-profit fun only.
Summary: Hermione and Fleur, in the post-war world, find themselves in the unsettling role of colleagues with more than a bit of lingering and forbidden attraction towards one another, despite their obligations to others. One fateful evening, courtesy of the firewhiskey, they admit their repressed secrets and darkest desires, to one another. Problem is, one can't unring a bell, once rung...nor the actions that follow. Angsty Fleurmione!
Chapter 1: Truth Serum.
It was unclear what led to the copious amounts of fire whiskey they drank that particular evening; it was never their drink of choice, given their druthers. Professor Delacour would opt for some robust Pinot, generally of the French Vouvray collection; Professor Granger rarely strayed from her rather tepid butterbeer, earning her a sound ribbing from her drinking partner, the French witch, who would without fail tease her for choosing a drink for a "twelve year old."
The English witch would respond with a predictable scathing glare, good-naturedly.
"Perhaps..." The brunette would respond with a twinkle, "...but let us not forget, dearest Fleur, that I had excellent taste as a twelve-year-old, thank you very much!"
Hermione would then hoist the beverage to her lips with aplomb.
Fleur would then chuckle to herself, as she did, every time, clearly amused by her friend. She would smile a secret smile to herself, one that would never escape the observant eyes of her dearest friend.
"Friday Night Beverages" had become the routine between the two junior faculty members almost instantly during the start of their tenure at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, nearly a year and a half prior. Their "girls night out" took place every Friday night, without fail, after their respective seventh period class and the dinner assembly had been dismissed by the Headmistress.
The Friday night tradition led to others, becoming the first of many that caused them to become -to most observers at Hogwarts- nearly inseparable.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
Their closeness that developed was sort of by default, they reasoned to themselves. After all, there was nearly a twenty five year age difference between the two of them and the next youngest faculty member; that generation gap was likely the reason, one would surmise, leading to their gravitation pull towards one another.
That's what they told themselves, anyway.
Fleur and Hermione fell into an instant routine, despite of some differences. Despite their wildly divergent backgrounds- Hermione was the wizarding world's most famous muggleborn witch, distinguishing herself as a member of the Golden Trio with her intimidating brainpower that led to the demise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She was still one of Wizarding England's most popular celebrities and constantly sought out - even more so these days than the other 2/3 of the Golden Trio. It was likely because she despised the attention and rarely gave public interviews. It fed the curiosity of the general public. The attention was counterintuitive, as Hermione rarely did anything in an ostentatious manner. She dressed simply, and lived simply. It was ironic that so much attention found her irrespective of her frugal demeanor.
Fleur, on the other hand, screamed "flashy" ...in every sense of the word. Attention on her was always immediate for her looks as well as her pedigree. She was born into one of the oldest magical families in Europe, the daughter of power and prestige courtesy of the Delacour family name. Additionally, being endowed with her sublime Veela genetics ensured she was impossible for most to take their eyes off of when she entered a room. The combination of these two facts resulted in Fleur's cult of personality of one known primarily for her obscenely gorgeous visage and her sex appeal. Just as ironically as Hermione, she did nothing inherently to generate this unwanted attention; and like Hermione, it bothered her more than she cared to admit. Unlike Hermione, however, she was almost always written off as 'without substance', despite graduating first in her class, her selection as a Triwizard Champion, and her heroic efforts during the war. It frustrated the gorgeous Veela more than she would ever admit.
Certainly, it was unexpected that the two witches had navigated such a close friendship as professors. Prior to their mutual Hogwarts appointment 18 months prior, their friendship was always a tad...shaky.
It was hard to explain why.
They had never truly felt fully comfortable around the other, and so, they tended to avoid one another. If asked, their opinion of the other one was always wildly complementary; but in any one-on-one situation, they made each other feel a certain way...
Nervous?
Uncomfortable?
Definitely... uneasy.
The normally glib Fleur Delacour would find herself at a loss for words and inexplicably awkward around the younger witch. The brilliant Griffindor, Hermione, would find herself unable to generate a rational thought around the other, finding herself unable to string together a single idea or topic. Eventually, she would turn into a stuttering mess. Both would blush with embarrassment, and end the contact, somewhat uncomfortably.
Despite this, they seemed to always have a curiosity about the other, on some level. Their eyes would seek out the other and offer a shy smile at functions or family events. They would always inquire about the other, and seek information, keeping up with the goings-on of their fellow witch.
When Ron finally wore Hermione down three years prior to Hermione's Hogwarts position, and she accepted his offer of marriage, the Golden Girl remembered Fleur offering her a lukewarm congratulations and a kiss on the cheek that left Hermione feeling unusually flushed. Fleur, she remembered, had a sad smile, and had offered her a faint congratulations.
"Welcome to ze family, 'ermione."
"I guess we'll be sisters, in a sense, right?" Hermione said, quietly, scanning the eyes of the older woman standing directly in front of her, just a tad closer than was socially acceptable.
Fleur grimaced.
Then, almost as inaudibly as Hermione had spoken previously, the Veela murmured, "Mais non...it is unlikely. You are..." Fleur struggled with the words, as she continued. "You are...so much more..."
She was cut-off, unexpectedly.
Fleur was never able to finish her thought that day, being interrupted by a boisterous toast offered from Mrs. Weasley in Ron and Hermione's honor. As time passed, they never finished that conversation, at all. As she settled into her day-to-day life with Ron, Hermione would often flit back to that moment, and wonder what the second half of Fleur's sentence would have been. As three years passed, the two grew more awkward around the other, despite being forced into seeing each other socially more often given their Weasley husband connection. Conversation became more forced, as they didn't quite know how to navigate the other in the roles they were currently playing as wives.
However, fate has a funny way of changing things in the blink of an eye, sometimes.
Almost two years ago, Hermione finally threw up her hands, in utter frustration, and resigned her Section Chief title at the Ministry. She realized with the Minster's unexpected veto of Proposition 18927, a bill she had slaved over for six months, that even the brightest mind of the time was not enough to overcome the hopeless monolith that was the archaic Ministry of Magic. It was Hermione Granger Weasley's last proverbial straw.
At roughly the same time, down the block, Fleur Delacour Weasley quit her cursebreaker job at Gringott's, despite her immeasurable skill for the profession, when she was passed over for a deserved promotion in favor of a less qualified Goblin. She realized she would never be given a fair evaluation or make forward progress in that organization without being an actual Goblin, herself.
And so, Minerva McGonnigal had a bounty of unexpected riches before her: two of the most gifted talents in the wizarding world were suddenly and incredibly unemployed!
She moved with the speed of a professional talent scout, and made the two women offers they could not refuse, unbenowst to the other. Minerva's skilled negotiation skills coupled with firm encouragement tactics regarding early retirement of two of her current staff members, resulted in the academic "one-two knockout punch" resulting in Hogwarts acquiring an alumnus of Beaubaton's Acadmey as their new Potions professor, and a member of the Golden Trio as their new Transfiguation professor.
The news went viral. Normally, academic appointments don't garner front page headlines in The Daily Prophet. However, it wasn't every day that a school acquired not one, but two, such famous persons who both happened to be Order of Merlin: First Class recipients for their distinguished actions during the last wizarding war. It didn't hurt that they were both young, famous, and frankly, easy on the eyes.
The story headlining the Prophet was exactly the vehicle leading to the discovery by the other of their simultaneous hire. Hermione Granger Weasley and Fleur Delacour Weasley learned they would soon be thrust together as colleagues on a daily basis by reading it on the front page of the evening edition of the paper... just like everyone else did, that night!
At exactly at the same time, in each of their respective households, the two witches let out an expletive that named a bodily function: one in the King's English, and the other in an emphatic French.
"Oh, shit..."
"Merde!..."
Fate has a funny way, indeed.
TBC.